


Dragon Ball Inverse

by Peebs (psychoticbovine)



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 61
Words: 72,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25073611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychoticbovine/pseuds/Peebs
Summary: The Saiyans have always been survivors. Countless worlds have been changed forever by these mere children fighting to survive in a cold, uncaring universe.Monsters born in a lab and abandoned to die.The daughters of a would-be conqueror.A man struggling to cage the beast within.Their story is a long and winding road, and this is only one of infinite threads.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue: Ghosts in the Absence

Age 681

The wind outside Sawaku's cottage was howling. The modest and cozy dwelling, which once felt vibrant and tiny, became overwhelmingly hollow and gargantuan in the silence of the new normal that pervaded the monk's new reality.

A reality that Ichuku no longer shared with him was too cold, and too big. An unending void with nothing but endless, frozen space.  
The sound of a woven basket rattled against the door to the cottage, no doubt another offering from his neighbors. 'The best they could think to do', he thought to himself. After all, such an occurrence was unprecedented on Gyuu.

The word 'Death' may as well have no meaning to a Gyuuman. It is written about in the tomes and scrolls in the library of the Great Monastery, and woven into songs and poems, yet to experience it is alien. Everything about the concept is wrong.

The epilogue of a Gyuuman's life is not meant to be the end, merely the start of a new chapter. The sacred technique of the merging of two Gyuuman souls allows the birth of a new individual, with the memories and experiences of those who came before but capable of more than either could accomplish alone.

What happened to Ichuku was not natural. What happened to Ichuku was not right. 

A perversion of everything their people had been taught.

Ichuku was dead. 

The word kept repeating in his mind. The sun rose, persisted in the sky over Sawaku's cottage, and fell beyond the horizon again. And again. And again. No matter how many days passed, the word kept rattling around in his head, indecipherable, the puzzle of which drove him to madness.

'Why did no one find us? Why did this happen? Why was Ichuku born into this world only to leave it suffering?'

He kept silently pondering it. He kept asking himself why, but no one was there to answer him in the privacy of his own mind.  
And so he began to ask aloud. "Why..?"

And when the silence offered no answer, he asked again. 

When he was yet again denied, he stepped outside, and asked once more. No response.

His feet left the ground, his body hovering into the air, asking again and again, thinking he only needed to go higher to find the answer. Someone, somewhere would answer.

He had no inkling of how long he'd been wandering, only a vast sea of black and the stars that pierced it to light his way. He stared at his bony fingers and emaciated arms, concluding he must nearly be there. Nearly there, to the one who would tell him why this happened.

His energy finally exhausted, Sawaku collapsed, by chance crumpling atop a floating piece of asteroid. A voice continued to mutter from his lips, which Sawaku no longer could discern whether it was his own.

Until, at long last, his question was answered.

" _Because everything about Death is wrong. Because this Universe, because all of creation, is wrong._ "

Sawaku squinted, his burning eyes desperate to make out the source of the voice. Above him stood a visage cloaked in shadow and bound in chains, the sillhouette of a massive tail coiling and flicking in every direction behind it. 

Reaching out, with no energy left to give, he desperately clawed toward the answer he sought. The only thing he had left to give were tears, as he desperately wept. "Then.. How do I fix it..?"

The figure grinned, rows of smiling teeth and slitted irises pierced the darkness, as the entity's tail whipped against the ground with a crack and a slam.

" _With my help, of course. I will show you how to pierce the veil, and together we will undo the great farce of the Gods._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gyuu (Japanese: Gyūnyū - Milk  
> Sawaku (Japanese: Sawāmiruku - Sour Milk)  
> Ichuku (Japanese: Ichigo miruku - Strawberry Milk)


	2. The Twins

Age 732

Niragi sat grumbling at the foot of the steps to the healer's hut. On Planet Vegeta, the surgeons would have extracted the child to be placed in an Incubation Pod, and of course he knew that this backwater planet had no such luxuries, but this was drawing the limits of his patience.

After hours firing pot-shots off into space, an attendant drew the curtain to the hut, and beckoned him inside. 

"Finally," Niragi barked. "I wasn't expecting this to take quite so long."

Brushing past the attendant as if she wasn't there, Niragi entered the hut and knelt beside the only bed, where a Gyuuman woman lay drenched in sweat. The woman held up a trembling hand, reaching for Niragi who took it with eager excitement.

Niragi was beaming. "Well? Was it a boy or a girl, Yoguru?"

The woman smiled and looked behind Niragi, where a tiny cradle draped from the ceiling of the hut. Niragi strode toward it and peered inside, spotting a baby with a familiar simian tail that was crying up a storm. "Hohoho! A girl! I would've hoped for a boy, but she'll be a proud Saiyan all the same!" Hoisting the infant out of the cradle, she was surprisingly responsive, flailing and crying as her father lifted her from the warm bedding. "Hah! She'll be a brawler! Tamegi, that's a Saiyan name for a Saiyan fighter!"

Yoguru glanced to Niragi's left, where another cradle held a second child, silent with her eyes closed. Yoguru spoke weakly, "She was born just a few minutes ago.. Isn't she beautiful..?" 

Niragi peered inside at the second infant, frowning. Her skin, though not as milky-white as Yoguru, was much more pale than the first child. Niragi frowned, far less impressed by the sickly infant. "Have you thought of a name for this one?" In truth, Niragi could care less about putting his brain cells toward a name for such a pathetic excuse for his own progeny. His focus was on Tamegi, who'd gone from a crying fit to trying to bite Niragi's hands off. 

The attendants brought the children to Yoguru, Niragi silently steaming as Tamegi was plucked from his hands.

"Tamegi, and Kreema," Yoguru gazed down at both of her daughters, bestowing the latter with a name befitting a Gyuuman monk. Tamegi stared up at her mother with sore, squinting eyes, and Kreema merely nestled into her mother's warmth as she remained sleeping.

~~\--------------------~~

Age 736

Within four short years, Tamegi and Kreema had grown into healthy, active girls. Kreema followed her mother everywhere, observing her with curiosity as she tended her duties around the Great Temple. Though Tamegi would prefer to join her sister, she would always find herself yanked away by her father. 

Her training started early, and by the time she could talk, Tamegi was already learning how to fight. Niragi's scouter was always able to detect a prodigiously latent power within Tamegi, but whenever she tried to harness her energy, her aura would flicker and pop, leaving her covered in scorch marks before passing out.

Kreema, on the other hand, was well on her way in terms of controlling her ki. She was able to activate her aura, and could already create simple energy balls by the time she and Tamegi were four years old.

On the fourth anniversary of their birth, Niragi was frustrated with the lack of progress in Tamegi's struggles to harness her ki. While bandaging her daily scorch marks in his patchwork lab, Niragi brought Tamegi to a field nearby, housing a large crater and a pod at the center.

"You and I are not from this world, Tamegi," Niragi mused, the girl's eyes lighting up with interest. "I came here from the Planet of Vegeta, the home of the Saiyan race."

Niragi retrieved a remote from his armor, and pressed a button, causing the pod to open. Tamegi leaped inside, fiddling with the various buttons upside down in the seat as she rattled off questions. "What's it like there, Tata? Is it pretty?"

"I think that's why you're having so much trouble with harnessing your power, the gravity on this world is pathetic." Niragi rubbed his chin in thought. "We could visit... Maybe some time on Planet Vegeta would help you acclimatize to harnessing your power." 

Tamegi's mouth went agape, and she jumped from the chair, bouncing in place with excitement. "Really Tata?! Can we?! Can Kreema and Mama come too?!" 

Niragi winced at the thought of bringing Yoguru and Kreema. "N-Now, see our pod? It's too small for more than one Saiyan. You're small, but we'll have to come back for your mother and sister with a bigger ship, alright?" 

Tamegi nodded with excitement, crawling into the pod. Niragi sighed, both relieved that had worked, and equally worried at how he would keep the girl from driving him mad. Crawling into the pod and lifting Tamegi to move her, Niragi activated the pod's flight systems, charted a course for Planet Vegeta, and closed his eyes as the ship's systems caused him and Tamegi to slowly drift into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Niragi (Japanese: Niragi - Leek)  
> Yoguru (Japanese: Yōguruto - Yogurt)  
> Tamegi (Japanese: Tamanegi - Onion)  
> Kreema (Japanese: Kurīmu - Cream)


	3. Secrets in Silver

Age 736

After a day on Planet Vegeta, Tamegi went from a wide-eyed tourist, to immediately homesick. A month later, she felt ready to explode. 

"This stinks! There's no baths, there's no paints, and there's nothing to eat but meat!" 

Niragi snerked. "I thought you liked meat."

Tamegi crossed her arms in a huffy pout, before throwing them into the air. "Yeah, with like, other stuff! But there's no veggies here! What's the point of meat with no veggies?!"

Niragi slumped against the wall, groaning. After a month alone with his daughter, he felt he was losing his mind. "Saiyans are carnivores, we hunt to eat. We have no need for fancy cooks that pluck leaves from the ground."

Tamegi whined into her pillow, her tail flicking erratically with irritation. "But they make stuff taste better..."

Niragi grunted at the incessant whining, desperate for even a moment's reprieve. "I know what'll cheer you up. Get your armor." 

Tamegi groaned in agony. "Noooooh, no more training!"

Niragi was tempted to throttle the brat for her insubordination, but only stopped out of concern for Yoguru, a train of thought that even gave him pause. "We're not going training. I have something different in mind." 

Tamegi hopped off the bed and picked up her armor from the ground, tugging it over her and scaling up Niragi's back before taking a seat on his shoulders. 

Niragi waved to a group of male Saiyans as they passed by a bar, stopping for a moment to talk. "The retrofits should be done in a few days. Now that you're back, supposedly we've got some big mission planned." Spotting the child on his shoulder, the man cackled. "You're kidding! What self-respecting Saiyan would give you a kid?!" 

Niragi was tempted to punch his comrade in the mouth, but simply brushed the comment aside. 

As her father continued rambling on and on with his friends, Tamegi's eyes wandered in every direction, trying to occupy herself with the sights and sounds of the busy dirt road. Her eyes caught what looked like a glimmer of light reflecting off of metal, her eyes darted toward the source, spotting a girl walking in the road. The girl looked to be a few years older than Tamegi, wearing strange clothing unlike anything Tamegi had ever seen. Even stranger, her skin looked like it was made of metal, and there looked to be tattoos all along her face that ran like wires.

"Tata, look!" Niragi rose an eyebrow, and turned to look where Tamegi was pointing.

"Ah, that's actually what I'd planned on showing you." Niragi said farewell to his comrades, and followed the metal girl. 

"Turia, directions to primary core." The girl stopped in her tracks, spun on one foot, and faced Tamegi and Niragi, staring with a blank expression. 

After a moment, the girl looked up at Niragi and spoke with a voice like a machine. "Follow the dirt to the end of the road, take a left at Meat Processing." Without another word, she spun back around and continued walking. 

Tamegi was bewildered by the sight. "Woow! She's like, super smart!" 

Niragi chuckled. "She's not real, she's a machine tied to a computer our scientists found when we first conquered the planet centuries ago. They're made of some sort of liquid metal stuff... You'll see them wandering around once in awhile, and if you have questions you can ask them for assistance." 

Tamegi's fists were clenched with excitement. "Sooo cooool!" 

Travelling along the dirt path per the Turia unit's instructions, Niragi and Tamegi stood in front of a large bunker. "Geez, it's been ages since I came here.." 

Knocking on the wall outside the bunker, a Saiyan opened the large metal door, allowing him inside with a nod. Traveling down a ramp that descended for what felt like forever to Tamegi, they stepped off into a sprawling room with countless terminals, monitors, and a large dome with a throbbing sphere of liquid metal at the very end. Saiyans of all shapes and sizes clacked away on the terminals, monitoring information as fast as they could keep up with it.

Niragi approached the dome at the end of the room, and picked up Tamegi, setting her down on the floor next to him. "Turia, we're having some problems with a scouter reading. Can you tell me my battle power?" 

The core began convulsing, needles prodding out in every direction as it processed the request. A voice responded, that of a woman with a cold, calculating manner of speaking. "Calculated battle power registers as approximately three-thousand two-hundred. Do you have another query?" 

Niragi nodded, pointing to Tamegi. "Tell me her battle power." 

The core began convulsing, stopping for a moment. When it started it up again, it took much longer to respond than previously. Niragi seemed confused, his patience waning, until finally the voice returned. 

"Unknown." 

Niragi seemed irritated. "That's not an answer," looking around the room he seemed ready to shoot someone. "Is something wrong with this stupid thing?!" 

"Battle power calculations are measured in the energy output of an organic being calculated in sync with their bodily mass and physical strength. The subject cannot be calculated in their current state." 

Stomping a foot on the ground, Niragi barked angrily. "So what the hell does that mean?! You're telling me she's too weak to have a battle power or what?!" 

The voice responded coldly, "No. The subject cannot be calculated in their current state. Battle power calculation inconclusive. Do you have another query?"

Tamegi reached up to grab her father's hand. "It's okay Tata, maybe once I figure out how to use my energy-" 

Niragi slapped away Tamegi's hand, and began walking back toward the ramp. Jumping with fright and fighting back tears, she quickly ran to join her father.


	4. Fight or Flight

Age 736

Planet Gyuu

Meditating upon a flat, circular stone balancing on three smaller stones, Yoguru sat motionless, as if she were outside of time and space. Kreema observed intently, determined to match the tranquility her mother had achieved. She had been sitting like this for hours, and yet Kreema made no attempt to leave, distract her, or otherwise entertain herself. 

Her only interest was observing her mother, trying to discern how someone could sit so still for so long. 

"Surely you must be hungry. I'll still be here, why don't you go have lunch?"

The breaking of Yoguru's silence caused Kreema to jump, the monk smiling down at her daughter as she slowly opened her eyes. 

Kreema shook her head, "No, I'm okay Mama." 

Kreema's determination was encouraging, and Yoguru thought only of fostering her desire to be like her. Standing and leaping down from her meditating spot, the flat rock remaining undisturbed, she landed gracefully on one foot, her robes swaying in the wind as she made contact with the ground in front of Kreema. 

Reaching out with a hand, Yoguru smiled warmly. "Come, I could use a snack as well." 

Kreema hopped off the ground, hovering for a moment in the air before landing at Yoguru's side and taking her hand. 

Making their way toward the village, the two followed a stream that trickled down from the hill and pooled into the center of town. Nearly tripping on a stone, Yoguru stopped to check on her. 

"Oh sweety, won't you let me trim your hair? You can barely see where you walk," Yoguru sighed, brushing the scruffy bangs out of Kreema's eyes.

Kreema huffed, her hair returning to obscure her vision. "Tata says a Sai... Sayee... A Sayand shouldn't cut their hair!"

A subtle frown formed on Yoguru's lips, trying in vain to brush the hair out of Kreema's eyes again.

Kreema stared at the ground, something obviously on her mind.

"...Where do you think Tata and Megi went..?"

Yoguru sighed, taking Kreema's hand as they resumed their walk. "I don't know, Kreema. I can't feel their energy anywhere on Gyuu. If something had happened to them, the other monks and I would've felt it. It's as if they left somewhere far away, farther than we can feel them." 

Kreema seemed unsure of this answer. Two months had passed since they'd vanished in the night, the only evidence being the crater that once contained Niragi's now missing pod.

"Wherever they are, I'm certain they are fine. And when they come back, I'll cook us something special." 

Kreema beamed, smiling up at her mother. "With lots of greens?" 

Yoguru giggled down at her daughter. "Of course, lots of greens." 

~~\--------------------~~

Planet Vegeta

As the twin suns faded over the horizon, the ground quaked amidst a flurry of blows. Another session of training between Tamegi and Niragi had gone late, with Niragi becoming increasingly frustrated in his attempts to help Tamegi harness her energy. 

With his upcoming mission less than a month away Niragi wanted to bring his daughter with him in what would be her first real battle, but without her ki she would be worthless.

Niragi hovered off the ground out of reach, firing energy blasts one after another at her. The ones that missed exploded with enough force to send Tamegi flying, and the ones that hit felt like she was being hit with a sledgehammer on fire. 

Every moment she had an instant of reprieve, she would try to leap from the ground at Niragi, channeling her rage into her limbs as she sprung off the dirt, only for the planet's gravity to rip her back toward the ground. Screaming, she tried to fly to Niragi, only for her energy to pop and crackle yet again, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her dazed on the ground. 

Niragi roared, landing and stomping over to his daughter and hoisting her into the air by her armor. "What is WRONG with you?! You have the physical strength, you have the training, you have the knowledge, and you have the will, why can't you fire a single stupid beam?!" 

Tamegi winced, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Gritting his teeth and groaning, Niragi dropped Tamegi, who curled into a ball and began weeping. Niragi was at the limit of his patience, crossing his arms and sighing.

Whimpering, Tamegi did her best to speak through her tears. "I-I wanna go home..." 

Niragi uncrossed his arms and looked down at Tamegi, furrowing his brow. "You what?" 

Tamegi punched at the ground, sobbing. "I wanna go home! We've been here for months and all you've done is hit me and scream! You said we'd make my energy work, but nothing's working! I don't wanna be here anymore! I wanna see Mama and Kreema!" 

Exhaling through his nostrils, Niragi barked down at the broken little girl. "You'd rather go and be with those weaklings rather than stay here and be a warrior? That's your problem. You're still weak! All you do is cry when things get tough, maybe that's why your energy is on the fritz, because you're pathetic like THEM!" 

The words pierced Tamegi, staring up at her father at a loss for words. Even Niragi, in his blind rage, realized what he had said. 

"Y-You... You s-said we'd go back for them.." 

Niragi scoffed. "Tch. Well, obviously I lied." 

Faster than Niragi could blink, Tamegi was off the ground and on top of him, a furious barrage of blows crashing into his face and stomach, the girl screaming through her tears as she savagely assaulted her father, before giving one good kick to the jaw that sent him on his back against the dirt, coughing uncontrollably. 

Niragi had heard rumors of half-breeds and their strength, in truth that was why he chose Yoguru. But never, in all his years, did he expect to be nearly beaten unconscious by a rampaging toddler. 

By the time he'd clawed his way back on his feet, Tamegi was gone. Activating his scouter, he could see that she was nearly to the spaceport. As fast as he could, he flew after her, determined to stop whatever foolish plan she had. 

Tamegi was running on fumes and instinct, tears flowing endlessly down her cheeks as she sprinted toward where the ships were docked. Remembering where Niragi had showed her his crew's ship, she spotted the circular vehicle docked just at the edge of the landing zone. 

Just her luck, she spotted a Turia interface walking away from the docks. Still running, she attempted to grab it's arm and pull it along with her, but it stood in place, locked like a steel pillar. "Turia, I need your help! Please!" 

The interface stared, processing her request. "How may I be of service?" 

Tamegi screamed, desperation as she knew she didn't have much time. "I need you to show me how to pilot that ship, or just.. Just make it take me home!" 

Turia stood motionless for a moment, before walking at a steady pace toward the ship. Tamegi ran toward it and activated the lamp, running inside and waiting for Turia while running in place with anxiety. 

Turia began fiddling with various controls on the ship, before asking, "Destination?" 

Tamegi blurted out, "Planet Gyuu!" 

Accessing the database of planets visited by saiyan ships and pods, Turia located the desired location, and the ship's ramp retracted as it began to take off. 

In the distance, Niragi watched as his ship began ascending, howling with rage as he charged an energy blast. 

Detecting this spike in energy, Turia turned away from the ship's main console. "Energy signature registered. Source: Niragi, Saiyan, Rank: Elite Soldier. Do you require protection?" 

Tamegi screamed out, "Yes! Please!" Pushing Turia toward the back of the ship, she watched as she turned into a puddle of silver liquid, which slithered across the floor and through the airlock of the ship, reforming outside. As Niragi fired on the ship with a furious scream, Turia absorbed the beam, and redirected it back at him, sending him hurtling back toward the ground unconscious. 

Reforming back inside of the ship, Turia coldly stated, "Threat neutralized."

Tamegi looked horrified. "D-Did you kill him..?" 

Blankly, Turia responded, "He is unconscious but will likely be unable to move for some time." 

Clutching her head and curling into a ball on the cold floor of the ship, Tamegi wailed out loud, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. For several minutes she stayed there, crying until she couldn't cry anymore, pulling herself off the ground in front of the main console and wiping her nose as she sniffled.

"T-Turia, can you make it so he can't find Planet Gyuu again?" 

At first unsure of Tamegi's meaning, Turia stared for a moment before responding. "I can erase all data on Planet Gyuu, pertaining to species, population, battle power assessments, and location. Do you wish to proceed?" 

Tamegi nodded, and Turia blinked several times. "Request completed. This mobile interface is nearing maximum operational range. The ship has been pre-programmed to reach the desired coordinates. Commencing retrieval." 

Turia melted into a puddle again, and exited the ship through the airlock as the ship exited the upper atmosphere. 

Alone and afraid, Tamegi wandered the corridors of the ship, finding a room with several bunks. Hopping into one and curling up into a blanket, she tried to fall asleep, wanting nothing more than to just forget her ordeal as she made her way home.


	5. Deus Ex Monstrum

Age 732

In the incubation pod floated twin babies, a boy and a girl. Scientists busily scampered around the room performing various duties required to maintain the pods, sweat on their brows as they worked diligently. 

The head scientist stood in front of the pod, tugging his beard in contemplation as he observed the fruits of his labor. A single Saiyan scampered toward the head scientist to attend him. "Their fur is white... Curious. A trait associated with albinism. Perhaps an unintended byproduct of the cloning process." Staring at the white tufts of fur on their heads, and their pure white tails, he pondered.

"What were their most recent battle power readings as of an hour ago?" 

The Saiyan answered quietly, stammering with worry. "A-Approximately two-thousand for the girl, and two-thousand five-hundred for the boy." 

The scientist scoffed. "Oh, 'approximately'? Hmph. Why we chose to conform to the Frieza Force's use of scouter technology baffles my mind. The Turia system's calculations were flawless, and yet we now rely on pathetic toy communicators!" The Saiyan's shouts resounding through the chamber, causing the twins in the pod to stir. 

Pressing a hand on the glass, he softly quieted the Saiyan twins. "Shhhh, I didn't mean to shout..." He retracted his hand, chuckling. "I've often heard Saiyans make for poor fathers, and yet, having no children of my own, I see this experiment as the culmination of all my work, to surpass me and all that have come before. I see these two infants as my own children." 

Pushing up his glasses with a smug grin, his monologue continued. "Through the cells we managed to cultivate, the Legendary Super Saiyan shall at last be reborn and lead us into a new age. One of you will bear the entire history of the Saiyan race on your shoulders. Which of you will make your fathers and forefathers proud..?"

The male infant gurgled, a stream of bubbles flowing to the top of the pod. The female opened her eyes for a moment, and seemed to glare at the scientist, before the fluids of the pod forced her eyes to snap shut again. 

The scientist smirked. "Daizi, and Yami... The reincarnation of the Legendary Super Saiyan..." 

~~\--------------------~~

Age 736

~~  
~~

A beam could be spotted piercing the horizon behind the training yard. punching a hole through the clouds as it traveled into space. The tutor's jaw dropped, as Daizi sat with her legs crossed on a stump, frowning with nothing more than a finger raised.

Yami barked with laughter, as he slumped against the wall next to Daizi. "These morons still think we're babies!" Staring down the tutor with an intense gaze, he bared his teeth with a hungry grin. "C'mon teach, give us a REAL challenge." Daizi remained silent, resting back with her hands behind her head. 

The tutor stammered as he collected himself, "I-I don't think that's wise! You've demonstrated your capable proficiency with energy control, b-but we've still got to-" 

Yami charged at the tutor and gripped him by the collar of his armor, floating in the air as he lifted the weakling off the ground. "I'm bored. You're boring me." Lifting his hand as it began to glow with an ominous green hue, he cackled maniacally. "I have a fun idea. I wanna see if your insides look like the food at meat processing." 

Daizi appeared next to Yami, grasping his hand tightly enough that he roared with pain, whimpering as he tried to break free from her grasp. "You idiot, you're going to get us punished again. I don't feel like sitting in a box for a week again, so knock it off." Releasing his hand and kicking him back to the ground, Daizi landed near the tutor, who was whimpering in the fetal position.

Yami clutched his hand, huffing and puffing. "You could'a just said so..!" 

Crossing her arms and staring down at the tutor, she groaned. "Yami and I are bored. I'm the more reasonable one, but that doesn't mean I'll put up with these pathetic excuses for 'lessons' much longer. So let's find some course work that all of us can be satisfied with, hm?" 

The tutor frantically nodded, running to find something to entertain the demonic brats. 

From a balcony overlooking their "schoolyard", the head scientist spoke with another Saiyan garbed in battle armor. "I'm not certain they'll meet your critera, Okara. Despite their... Temperament... Yami and Daizi are not exactly model soldiers. I'm still struggling to control them. That, and their psych evaluations have produced... Troubling results." 

Okara groaned, pinching her brow. "They're children, Nabocho. They'll learn discipline. Or we'll shoot them I guess."

Nabocho winced at the thought of his work being discarded so casually. "There is no indication that they possess the necessary temperament for the Wrath State, they'd be of no use to the Berserker Squad without it." 

Staring down into the yard, Okara spotted the young boy, gritting his teeth as if he were about to explode. "They're young. If they have the blood for it, there's still time before it will start to show." 

Thinking to himself, that was what he was afraid of. He watched as Daizi walked past her brother and stood at the edge of the yard, staring seemingly at nothing. 

With these two, there was plenty to be afraid of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nabocho (Japanese: Nakiri bōchō - "knife for cutting greens")  
> Okara (English: Okra)


	6. Caged

Age 737

The skies above Planet Yaseia were dark with ash and firestorms. The "war" against the Yaseans had waged for over a year, and the Saiyans had managed to push them back to a single remaining city stronghold. With the patience of the Frieza Force being fickle at best, the Saiyans recognized they were pushing their luck with their extended campaign. 

Yaseans were a physically meek, pathetic species, but their technology equipped them with suits of armor that enhanced their physical attributes exponentially, making them more than a match for the Saiyan invaders. The armor was nigh invulnerable to energy blasts, and any attempt to close the distance on a Yasean juggernaut would result in the Saiyan in question being obliterated by a barrage of punches.

It was for this reason that the Saiyans had resorted to dispatching the Berserker Squadron.

As the head of his squad, Keel had the "honor" of being an expendable nuclear bomb. In the past he had been lumped in with grunts sent to die, but after going wild on a backwater planet that left his comrades and the local populace dead, the higher-ups realized he had other uses.

Despite his somewhat meager battle power, Keel was discovered to have a rare mutation. When pushed to his limit or overcome by his rage, he entered a "Wrath State", losing all sense of self and becoming a wild animal, his battle power being boosted exponentially while under the effects of the Wrath State.

Now at the head of his own elite force, Keel and his fellow "Berserkers" were a force of nature, deployed by the Saiyans only when all other options are deemed ineffective.

In the skies far above the last standing bastion of the Yasean people, Keel stood watching from the balcony of the scout satellite. Occasional bombardments would crash against the satellite from the city below, slamming into the shield barrier surrounding it and fizzling out.

At his side stood Okara, effectively acting as Keel's handler, responsible for handling reports on the squad, issuing commands, and directing where the beasts would be let loose. 

Holding a datapad, Okara's tail flicked with irritation. "Per our intel, that tower there seems to be housing their central leadership. You're to drop there, and do what you do. As usual, we'll take care of janitorial." 

Keel grumbled. Though he was young, as few as twenty summers, his face was grizzled, and his stern expression was that of a seasoned veteran. His tail tightened around his waist, anxious of what was to come.

Despite the overwhelming power that most Saiyans could only dream of harnessing, Keel hated being reduced to an animal. Or worse, a monster. Firing off a sharp whistle on his bottom lip, four other Saiyans appeared, kneeling behind Keel, who rose a fist to command them at attention.

Without a word, he stepped off the balcony and into the burning sky, the shield around the surveillance satellite fading for a moment to allow him and his squad passage through. As he did so, a volley of energy blasts crashed into the ship, and Okara found herself falling with them, screaming with rage the entire way down.

As the five Saiyans crashed against the ground, craters formed in perfect formation just outside the central tower of the city, as energy radiated from their bodies. Screaming and howling with fury, the five entered their Wrath State, with citizens and soldiers alike panicking in every direction. Armored Yaseans rushed to punish the invaders, only to be shoulder-checked straight through the doors of the tower. The armored warriors were little more than dolls, or at best dead weight with which the Saiyans used to tear the tower apart from it's foundations, roaring with energy that erupted from their mouthes. 

What the Yaseans saw that day, the final day, was no Saiyan, but a monster with no soul that had come to end everything they knew and loved. For no reason beyond the crime of existing.

~~\--------------------~~

A cager crew landed near a canyon outside the city, where they found the five grunting and clutching their heads, a side effect of prolonged use of the Wrath State form. At the sight of them, the five jumped to their feet and tried to rush them, only to be fired upon with tranquilizer bolts. Clasping shackles around their necks, wrists, and feet, the cagers moved them to steel containers, to be shipped back to Planet Vegeta for debriefing.

While directing the ships, one of the cagers stared at the destruction wrought by the beasts. "Jeez, what took us a year they trampled in one night." 

The captain of the freighter ship shrugged. "Wasn't a perfect job. There are still a few rats scurrying around the rubble, shouting about revenge. Either way, we've gotta get this done quick." 

The cager rose an eyebrow. "What's the hurry? Some big new mission?" 

The captain furrowed his brow. "You haven't heard? Lord Frieza has recalled every Saiyan to Planet Vegeta." 

That sent a chill down the cager's spine, and he was quick to finish his work, nervous enough that he forgot a single minor lock on the squadron commander's wrist-bindings.

While nearly half-way to Planet Vegeta, Keel began to stir in his cage, still mentally wracked with the rage of his Wrath State. Violently tossing back and forth in an attempt to free himself, the cager kicked his container, shouting for him to quiet down. 

With a creaking *snap*, the cager went white as he heard the sound of shredding metal. Slowly standing up, the cage was eviscerated, as Keel rose slowly to his feet, the metal shredding around him as he stood up straight.

Spotting the pathetic excuse for a Saiyan, he reached out in a swift motion with one palm, and cracked his hand against the cager's head, killing him instantly as his body flew against the inside of the ship. 

Moving to the front of the ship, the animalistic-minded Keel tore the pilot from the cockpit, seat and all, and crumpled it into a ball with a howl of maniacal laughter, as the ship violently spun out of control and crashed on the nearest planetary body, the sound of Keel's laughter travelling for miles as he plummeted to the world below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaseia (Japanese: Yasei - Wild)  
> Keel (English: Leek)


	7. Sibling Rivalry

Age 737

Daizi awoke to the sound of a ship's engines, and the feeling of dust blowing through her scruffy hair. Sitting up, she didn't recognize the barren wasteland she was now sitting in, and she saw a ship beginning to take off. Her wrists were bound with steel restraints, which she tore apart with a scream. Yami had only begun to stir, as Daizi launched from the ground and leaped at the ship. 

Tearing her way inside, she snapped the neck of the pilot, a scrawny looking runt, as the ship drifted slowly back toward the ground. Yami slowly stood on his feet, still bound by his restraints as he hobbled over to the ship's entrance. 

Daizi frantically tapped on the terminal of the ship's main console, and found instructions to dump the 'package' on a remote, unnamed world. Slamming her fist through it, Yami groaned. "What's the deal?" 

Daizi stared at him still bound by the restraints, and he muttered an "Oh. Right." Casually he separated his hands, ripping the bindings apart down the middle. 

Daizi exited the ship and clutched her head, ready to scream. "They left us here to die. Idiots. COWARDS." Yami was busy fiddling with the controls of the ship, finding little to no damage that would hinder it from traveling. "C'mon sis, I fail to see the downside of this. A free ship, no one to tell us what to do. Just you and me, doing what we want from now on!" 

Daizi realized what he said and what it meant. The concept of freedom was alien to her, and now, only just in front of her, she wasn't sure how to react. At only five years old, her only purpose for living was to make her father Nabocho proud. To surpass her brother. To 'lead the Saiyans into the future'. 

Now she could do whatever she wanted. And she felt lost. 

~~\--------------------~~

For ten long years, Daizi and Yami embarked on a crusade of wonton destruction across the edges of space controlled by the Frieza Force, rarely little more than a blip on their radar. The twins were unstoppable monsters, obliterating entire worlds, terrorizing populations, and gradually increasing in strength. 

While Daizi was a cold, calculating sociopath, Yami was little more than a rampaging brute without regard for concern to himself or his prey. Daizi took pleasure in torturing people by the hundreds, while Yami was content being a destructive child tearing the galaxy apart.

Not everything was fun and games between the siblings. The two would frequently butt heads, their mutual rivaled strength making it impossible for either to dominate the other, and their nigh indestructibility preventing any long-term damage from their fights. 

Despite their newfound boundless freedom, Daizi felt trapped. She'd long since lost any sort of feeling of kinship toward Yami, he was more of a burden than anything else. She'd even gone as far as to abandon him numerous times, only for him to inevitably find her again as if by simply bumbling about. Effectively she was cursed to be his babysitter, likely forever. 

Daizi slumped against the wall of the ship with her arms crossed, sighing to herself. Piloting the ship, Yami heard the frustration in his sister. "What's up?" 

Daizi remained silent. Yami smirked to himself, shrugging. "Next stop is just ahead. I guess these guys are really strong, if those weaklings on Pancho were telling the truth." 

As the ship came to a stop, a group of armored soldiers gathered to greet the new arrivals, and a delegation of what seemed to be peaceful aliens standing to greet the newcomers. "Welcome! We-" 

Yami was already charging through the crowd, his arms and body swelling as energy flowed through him. Grabbing one of the tin soldiers, he used the poor bastard like a club to beat his people into a river of pulp.

Daizi stood at the ramp of the ship, disinterested with joining Yami in his latest 'conquest'. A hand grasped at Daizi's boot, as the crumpled alien dying on the ground coughed up a splatter of green blood. "W-Why.." 

Daizi kicked his hand away, and stared at Yami, her arms crossed.

Yami charged through a skyscraper as civilians ran in every direction, enjoying the simple thrill of the chaos he wrought upon yet another innocent civilization. Roaring back to the ship, he beckoned for his sister to join in on the demented festivities. "C'mon! These rats aren't going to exterminate themselves!"

Spotting a reflection glinting off of a nearby tower, Daizi rocketed toward it, recognizing it as a sniper. "Yami, you idiot! Get down!"

The shot fired faster than she could react, and by the time her foot was buried in the enemy's chest, Yami was roaring in pain. Dropping down to check on him, she saw that the energy bolt had torn through his calf. 

Yami screamed as he tried to get on his feet. "D-Dammit... Bastard got me good..!" 

Staring for a moment, Daizi stared down at him coldly. She'd waited for an opportunity like this, and raised her hand, aiming it toward Yami and firing. 

Almost on instinct, Yami lunged at her, slamming his teeth down on the explosion and grinning up at her with a bloodied face. "You can be real mean, sis." 

Daizi winced, and punched Yami hard across the mouth, before turning and flying back toward the ship. Yami rubbed his cheek, following her as he floated slowly in the air.

Boarding the ramp of the ship, Daizi passed the same broken alien, and locked eyes on him before heading up into the ship. Yami landed after her and fired an energy pulse that sent the poor bastard flying, limping up the ramp as the two continued on their journey of self-discovery and destruction. 


	8. Departure

Age 746

For nearly ten years, Tamegi had been living on Planet Gyuu with her twin sister Kreema, and their mother Yoguru. Kreema was content continuing to further her knowledge and understanding of energy control, while Tamegi had to make due with keeping busy. 

Tamegi found her physical strength had its uses in a society with no physical laborers, and at the very least could carry heavy loads that would otherwise take days or weeks to transport. Despite this, even after all this time, she couldn't control her energy.

Kreema, conversly, had become a prodigy with her manipulation of ki, even among her fellow monks. Through her mastery of the energy within her and around her, she could feel the emotion of every individual of Planet Gyuu. 

Though she tried to hide it from her, every time she reached out to feel Tamegi's emotions, she could sense a burning desire, and a sense of wandering, lost without purpose.

The ship that Tamegi had returned in, without Niragi, sat covered in dirt and vines near their father's old patchwork lab just outside the village. Occasionally, Tamegi would look in the direction of the abandoned vessel, wondering what other worlds might be waiting to be explored.

While treating themselves to an after-lunch snack, Tamegi finally said what had been on her mind.

"Kreema, what do you think's out there?" 

Turning to stare at her sister, her long scruffy hair obscuring most of her vision and forcing her to rely on 'seeing' her ki, Kreema tilted her head with confusion. "I'm not sure how to answer that."

Tamegi's tail flicked with visible stress, as she let off a frustrated sigh, falling back in the grass and staring up at the sky. "I can't stop thinking about it. I've never been able to stop thinking about if there are other worlds out there like Planet Vegeta. Planets with like... People! And buildings! And.. Hats!"   
  
Raising an eyebrow and stifling a grin, Kreema snerked. "You want to expand your wardrobe? All I have ever seen you wear is that armor." 

Giving a light love-tap to Kreema's shoulder with one fist, Tamegi grinned. "S'not what I meant, jerk." She glanced yet again to the ship, Kreema spotting the glance with curiosity. 

"You could go. You would be able to come home any time." The words came from Kreema without a second thought, and they caught Tamegi off guard. 

Tamegi was silent, deep down she'd thought about it every day for the past ten years, but in truth the only thing stopping her was the fear of being utterly alone. There and then, she was a five year old girl, alone in the vastness of space fleeing from her deranged father. Her heart began to race, and she began hyperventilating.

Until Kreema reached out, taking her wrists in her hands, calming her. 

With no other words coming to her, she simply blurted out, "Come with me. I-I don't wanna be alone out there, but I can't stay here anymore..." 

The offer gave Kreema pause. Whatever her decision, it would change both their lives forever. 

Lowering her head, Kreema pulled her sister in for a tight hug. "I'll follow you anywhere."

~~\--------------------~~

It took several months of cleaning, learning the ship's controls, and figuring out how to safely fly and land. If nothing else, Tamegi and Kreema were lucky that Saiyan ships were built for rough landings and sitting in the woods for years at a time between uses. 

On the day they were set to leave, every Gyuuman was present for Kreema and Tamegi's send off. Yoguru had prepared hand-woven blankets and a surplus of medical salves, and the entire city had contributed to a stash of preserved vegetables and various pickled foods for the two to live off of for several months.

As they were finished loading the ship, the villagers distanced themselves to give the family time to say their goodbyes. Yoguru was smiling the entire time, happy to see that her two children had finally found their destinies. 

Tamegi wrapped her arms around Yoguru, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm gonnna miss you so much, Mama." Kreema came in from the side to join the hug, the three squeezing as tight as they could.

Yoguru broke the hug and placed hand under each of their chins, looking into their eyes. "I have feared for the longest time that you two would not find your place among us. Now, I only feel peace knowing that you will find purpose." Closing her eyes and offering a final warm smile, she pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads. "Have enough fun for the three of us, and come back when you feel homesick." 

Crossing her arms and folding one hand toward her chest, Yoguru bowed to Kreema and Tamegi. Kreema returned the traditional bow, and Tamegi stumbled over herself as she tried to match her sister. 

As Yoguru turned to leave, Tamegi gripped Kreema's hand and ran toward the ramp of the ship, running to the main console and punching in coordinates to the nearest planetary system. The ship began to rise, and before the ramp closed, Tamegi rushed out and climbed to the top of the ship, Kreema flying out to follow. Grasping her hand in Kreema's, the two waved goodbye to their home.


	9. Recollection

Age 746

Kreema lay awake in the bunk above Tamegi, listening to her sister snore. In the vast darkness, it was the only sound she could listen to, to quell the anxiety of the infinite silence.

Hopping down from the bunk and landing on one foot without a sound, Kreema wandered toward the center of the ship and stared through the porthole overhead, parting her overgrown hair to stare at the stars.

Tamegi's snoring stopped, and not a moment later she appeared to join her sister in the central corridor. "Can't sleep?"

Shaking her head, Kreema continued staring at the stars. "I don't need much sleep. I was just feeling... Worried. It's like the quiet is too much." 

Resting a hand on Kreema's shoulder, she stared into her pink eyes. "I know what you mean. When I came home, I... It felt like the entire universe was going to eat me. Like I was drowning in an ocean, forever." 

Tamegi moved toward the ship's kitchen and took a seat, resting her chin on her hands upon the kitchen table. "When I finally got home, all the sounds were like... Medicine. Like I was sick with a cold for what felt like forever, and just hearing the sounds of people made me feel better."

Listening, Kreema crossed her arms. "I know you don't like talking about.. Why you came home.. You never told me what happened."

Visibly wincing, Tamegi to bury the memories for the umpteenth time. Sighing and clenching her intertwined hands, she took a moment to find the words. "He lied..." 

Kreema's arms unfolded, staring down at her sister. "Lied.. About what?" 

Tears began to roll down Tamegi's cheeks. "About why we left. About everything. He never loved us. He used us. I was just a tool to him. Or worse, a pet." 

Kreema stood quickly and stepped away from the table in shock. Hearing this about her father after so many years sent a shock through her system that she had never felt. Even worse, being in close proximity to Tamegi, she could physically feel the pain her sister was in. Kreema's eyes began to well up with tears that were both her own and her sister's. 

Gritting her teeth, Tamegi pounded on the table. "H-He told me.. We would come back for you..! He said we'd fix my energy, and then we'd come home... He LIED!" Tamegi roared, and the anger swelled up in Kreema, an emotion she'd never known before. 

As Kreema began to clench her fists, staring at her balled hands in rage-filled confusion, Tamegi stopped herself in realization. Jumping from the table to hug her sister, the two wept in each others shoulders.

When the crying finally came to a stop, the sisters took a seat back at the table and tried to find something else to say.

Sensing Tamegi's visible confusion at her reaction, Kreema finally broke the silence. "As part of my training, I learned to sense the energy of others.. Part of that was being able to read emotions. Because of our Saiyan blood, it is.. Especially strong when I feel someone's emotions." 

Tamegi nodded. Her understanding was minimal, but she understood the important parts. 

Her hands still trembling, she looked at her hands, and then to Tamegi. "W-What... What was that..?" 

Tamegi stared with confusion. "What was what?" 

"That... That emotion, like your insides are boiling and your hands are going to start flying, like you need to force them through something.. I've never felt anything like that, it's horrible.." Kreema's heart was racing, and she looked as if she were about to cry again. 

All Tamegi could do was look at her sister, worried for her. "You've.. Never felt angry before? 

Kreema didn't understand the question. "Do.. Do you feel angry often?" 

With a smirk, Tamegi shook her head. "Not on Gyuu. How could I? The people, the food, the atmosphere. Sometimes I want to feel angry, just to let go of all the feelings I've been burying for years, but then they just.. Melt away. I guess out here in the darkness, I'm finding where they all melted away to." Her eyes wandered again to the stars outside.

Looking back to Kreema and trying to change the subject, Tamegi smiled. "So, what else have you been learning?" 


	10. Rebirth

Age 746

Having already dug in to their food supply from home, the ship's scanners had picked up a planet nearby with fruits and vegetation that would be safe for them to eat. While Tamegi worked from the ground, uprooting strange alien vegetables that were larger than her, Kreema casually fluttered in the air as she plucked various fruits from the trees overhead.

On the surface, she didn't want to seem jealous, but every time she spotted her sister in the air, there was a bubbling sense of frustration. The difference being that now, Kreema could feel it. 

"Alright, I think this is as good of an opportunity as any," Kreema spoke calmly as she hovered down onto one foot on the ground before planting herself. 

Tamegi raised one eyebrow. "To do what?" 

Taking Kreema's hand in hers, she smiled. "To learn how to use your energy." 

The older of the twin sisters couldn't help but groan. "You know I can't. I spoke with every healer, every wiseman, every guru on Planet Gyuu, the only thing ONE of them could tell me was that whatever is wrong with me, it's some kind of... Deficiency. My body is.. Out of sync with my energy." 

Kreema nodded. "And the only way to re-sync your body and energy is with practice, which we're going to start today." 

Tamegi sighed in defeat, following her sister for whatever schemes she had. 

The two spent the day utilizing various techniques Kreema had learned, and some she had discovered in her own experimentation with her energy. Balancing sessions, breathing exercises, energy-fueled muscle stimulation, even interlinking with Tamegi's latent aura, all for naught. 

As the native sun began to disappear over the horizon, Tamegi was at her limit. "That's.. Enough for today." 

Kreema was truly dumbfounded. Through all her lessons and practice, it didn't make sense to her how Tamegi's aura could be so difficult to awaken. 

Pausing as she nibbled on her index finger in deep thought, she had an idea. 

"There is.. One more thing we could try." 

Tamegi sighed, and waited for the final bright idea of the day. 

"Are you familiar with the Gyuuman merging ritual?" 

Nearly falling over herself, Tamegi chuckled. "Are you insane? Is my energy that bad, you think I'm DYING?" 

Kreema was quick to defend herself. "No, no! The ritual is not actually permanent, and can be used for the purpose of learning from others. It is traditionally used for those who are near death, yes, but that is not the only use for the ritual. If we merge, we might be able to 'kickstart' your energy, or at the least I might be able to find out why you cannot use it." 

Clenching her fists, the idea still made her anxious. "I'm... I don't know. The thought of having all my thoughts mixed up in someone else's head. Like... Will I still be me..?" 

Kreema reached out to offer a hand. 

"I am your sister. Are you not already me?" 

Tamegi snerked. "We're not identical twins, doofus." Reaching out to take her hand, she squeezed tight, her obvious nervousness on full display. 

As their hands interlocked, Kreema's hand began to glow, and then Tamegi's, much to her own surprise as it began to hum with a white glow that even she could feel was her own. As the Gyuuman halves of their bodies began the process, there was a split second where the two could feel the other's thoughts. 

There was a flash of light as the energy surrounded them and blended, and everything went dark. 

Tamegi was in a void. Yet, this was not a darkness filled with anxiety of fear. It was warm, and comforting. A short distance away, she could see Kreema with her back turned, and she ran toward her. Without thinking, she broke out into a full sprint, and leaped at Kreema, who turned and opened her arms to hug her. 

There were no words between them, the sensation overwhelming their senses. They turned, and both faced forward, and it was as if they were turning to look outward through the same eyes.

When they looked down as one, they reached out and waved their hands through the smoke that was now surrounding them. Clenching a fist tight, they could feel a surge of energy. 

They spoke, chuckling with nervousness. "This is... Wow." Her voice was neither that of Tamega, nor Kreema, yet born from them both. "This feels... Right. Like this is who we're supposed to be, right?" 

She wanted to nod to herself, still confused at the concept of 'herself'. "The merging is still fresh, so we- Guh.. This mind still consists of our individual identities. It's hard to explain. We're still us, but we're also... Me." 

"I think I wanna stay like this for a bit. This feels.. Amazing!" 

Staring down at herself, she realized her clothing was an amalgamation of both Tamegi's battlesuit and Kreema's robes. She admired the satisfyingly appropriate attire, seemingly happy with the result.

With a single leap, the new Half-Saiyan was miles in the air, laughing to herself as the wind blew through her hair. Stopping herself from descending, she rocketed through the sky, her arms outstretched as she felt the sensation of flying for the first time. 

A part of her had desperately wanted this feeling for so long, and tears rolled off the sides of her face as she gracefully spun and circled in the air, before coming to a stop on the ground on one hand. 

Hopping off her hand and back onto her feet, she felt like she was bursting with energy as she jumped in place on one foot at a time. "Let's see what this body can really do." 

Her arms moved like water, pulling and pushing and swaying with the current of energy that flowed through her. With a sudden crash, she slammed her palm forward, a burst of wind knocking down a series of trees. 

Thinking to "herselves", she let loose a series of punches, feeling the strength in her new body's muscles. Retracting both hands to her sides and clenching, she felt the energy inside of her well up like a hot spring ready to burst, and she slammed her open palms forward towards the sky, a ricocheting springboard of energy erupting from her hands as she shouted. "Ggrrraaah..!" The purple beam shone bright as it pierced through the upper atmosphere, and vanished into open space.

~~\--------------------~~

Now themselves again, Tamegi and Kreema sat on a crumpled log, feasting on a crudely prepared meal of roasted fruit. Tamegi, always the paragon of politeness, spoke loudly with her mouth full. "We have SO much we have to do now! We've gotta figure out some cool attacks, and we have to find clothes to wear, and- and-" 

Kreema, who had been listening to her sister rattling on for an hour, sighed with a grin before swallowing her bite and cutting her sister off. "We should really find a teacher." 

Tamegi nearly choked on her foood. "Teacher? For what?" 

With a smile, she leaned in toward her sister teasingly. "For Tamega, silly. She's got natural talent, but she's going to need proper lessons to fully understand her full potential. As for clothing, there's not really much point, her clothes take the form of whatever she desires to present herself as." 

Offering a dull stare, Tamegi groaned. "Tamega..?" 

Crossing her arms, Kreema huffed, her hair blowing out of her eyes for a moment before obscuring her vision again. "Well, I thought perhaps as a combination of our names.." 

Howling with laughter so hard that she fell backwards off the log, Tamegi clutched her sides. "Th-That has to be the worst name I've ever heard! Ahah..!"

Kreema puffed her cheeks, nearly throwing her food on the ground. "W-Well it's mostly your name, so I guess you're the stupid one!" 

Her protests were drowned out as Tamegi laughed herself half to death, with Kreema taking another bite of her meal as she crossed her arms and pouted.


	11. Forged in Fire

Age 746

Fire surrounded Tamegi and Kreema, as their ship hurtled toward the planet beneath them. In the chaos, their screams were drowned out by the raging blaze and metal bursting. Reaching out and taking each others hands, the twin sisters became as one, their aura igniting and pushing back the fire that tore through their vessel. 

As the ship continued to burn, Tamega fired a single beam through the canopy, leaping through the hole and watching the ship crash into the ground. In an instant, two men were on her, pinning her arms behind her as they tugged her down to the ground below. 

Flailing with fear and rage, Tamega kicked and tried to bite her attackers, screaming and trying desperately to pull herself away. "Let me GO!"

A short creature, covered in wrinkles with a beard that dragged along the ground beneath it, approached them and hoisted a large gnarled cane, pointing it at Tamega. She gritted her teeth, snarling like an animal ready to snap. The two men forced her to her knees, and the small alien creature peered into her eyes, finding not a raging beast out for blood, but just a cornered animal thrashing in fear.

Tapping the cane on the ground, the two men released her, and moved to the short creature's sides. 

"You are not of the warriors that attacked our world." 

Tamega jumped to her feet, wary of the assailants as she stood her ground. "I don't know where I am, I was just passing through when YOU attacked me!"

The short, stern-looking creature started up at his two attendants. "You two will fix her transport." 

The tall aliens jumped, and were quick to protest. "B-But Master Rakkas! We-" 

With a motion swifter than Tamega could catch, the tall alien to the left of the short creature was on the ground. Turning to walk away, he paused for a moment, and spoke back to Tamega without looking at her. "There will be food. Bring firewood." With that, Master Rakkas walked toward a village in the distance.

Tamega blinked, irritated at the arrogance of this bite-sized annoyance, but with how bewildered the entire scenario had made her, she reluctantly complied. 

Hauling a pile of lumber from the nearby forest, Tamega casually jogged toward the village. As she approached the crude wooden gates, two tall guards stood over her, staring down at her imposingly. 

Tamega leaned to the side to get a look at them from behind the firewood. "So.. Where do I put these?" 

The guards made way for her, but kept wary eyes wherever she went.

As she reached the center of town, it seemed the entire population of the small village had gathered, lining up for food being distributed from a small tent. Serving food from inside the tent, Tamega spotted the same small creature that had sent her on her errand. 

Dropping the firewood in a large pile of assorted logs and lumber, Tamega completed her task and waited for the line to die down, before rushing to speak with the apparent leader of the village. 

"Master Rakkas, was it? Are you a fighter? Did you train those guards? Could you-" 

Tamega's sentence was cut short by a harsh blow to the top of her head, sending her to the ground. "You are here to eat, not to talk, yes?" 

Wincing and clutching her head, she desperately wanted to protest, but merely stood and bowed her head in respect, nodding quickly. 

Master Rakkas filled a crude wooden bowl with some sort of brown stew, and offered it to Tamega, who accepted the food and bowed in thanks. 

Taking the food and finding a spot in the shade, she took a cross-legged seat on the ground and took a sip of the warm stew. It... Wasn't the _worst_ thing she'd ever eaten... 

As she sipped, she took a look at her surroundings, taking note of the sorry state the village was in. The houses were patched together to fill holes of various sizes, or constructed completely out of salvaged materials. The villagers themselves were thin and dressed in ragged, messy clothing, implying they had been through considerable hardship. 

Her observations were interrupted as something struck her in the back of the head, causing her to jump and spill some of her stew. Beneath her stood Master Rakkas, staring up at her through bushy eyebrows that looked to obscure his vision. 

"Who are you?" 

Caught off guard, she realized she'd never been asked that question before. "We- ...Tamega, sir." 

Master Rakkas picked up on her hesitation. "And why have you come to Natto, Tamega?" 

Rubbing the back of her neck, she chuckled. "I.. Honestly I was just sort of roaming from planet to planet. I was going to stop for a few days to find some supplies before moving on." 

With a gruff scoff, Master Rakkas smacked his cane on the ground. "A freeloader, then. You can leave once your transport is repaired." 

Tamega was quick to correct herself. "Ah- No no! I can find and prepare my own meals, I didn't mean-" 

"We have no need for another hungry mouth. You can sleep with the livestock until your ship is ready, and you can find your own food, as you have said." 

Stammering, she tried to find the right words. "B-But... I- W-We-"

Before she could react, she was on the ground, her legs having been swept out from underneath her. Wincing, she opened her eyes to see his cane in front of her face. 

"Why. Are. You. Here." 

Tamega stared at him, blurting out the only words she could find. "Teach me.. Please.."

With a scoff, he retracted his cane and stared down at her. "Teach you what?" 

She sat upwards and bowed on her knees. "How to fight! I need someone to teach me how to use my power.. I'll do whatever it takes, no matter how difficult!"

Master Rakkas scowled, remaining silent for what felt like an eternity. "My temple lies at the top of that peak," speaking with a stern, commanding tone, he pointed his cane at the massive mountain to the north overshadowing the village. "You will be at the door before dawn breaks tomorrow, on foot. If you do not make it, your transport will be ready by the time I send you back."

Staring for a moment, she realized she had little time, and quickly downed the rest of her stew, and sprinted toward the direction of the mountain. 

~~\--------------------~~

Drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, Tamega realized she had been running for hours, the darkness of night now surrounding her. Her best guesstimate told her she was little more than half way, as she peered up at the gargantuan mountain looming over her. 

Stopping for only a moment, she rested her hands on her knees. Gasping for breath as her eyes watered, she struggled not to collapse then and there. 

"Giving up already? No one is going to carry you back down." 

Falling over herself, she gasped as Master Rakkas appeared behind her. "How did you-" 

"I walked, while you were slacking."

Clutching her head and wiping the sweat from her brow, she rose to her feet as she finished catching her breath. "I've been running for hours, I don't see how I could possibly get there on foot before sunrise.."

Thwacking his cane against her back, Tamega shrieked. "W-What was that for?!" 

Master Rakkas groaned. "You are too accustomed to flying. Your energy ripples all around you, while your body withers from a lack of use. If you cannot push yourself, you are not worth teaching." 

Tamega inhaled, jumping in place and shaking off the burning exhaustion in her every muscle. With one leg in front of her, and her hands outstretched on the ground, she closed her eyes and focused her energy. "Well... Why not both?" 

Master Rakkas raised an eyebrow. "Both what-"

Dust and rocks swirled around Tamega, as her hair fluttered. Her aura flared as the energy in her body surged through her muscles, and with a single stride, she burst forward, sprinting faster than she realized she was capable.

Racing up the peak of the mountain, Tamega's body burned as she spotted what seemed to be trickles of sunlight peeking over the horizon. Pushing herself until her every muscle screamed, she bounded in powerful, bursting strides toward her destination. 

Until at last, she arrived at the top at the mountain, launching into the air and spotting her goal, mere moments before the sun was about to rise. As she began to fall, she lost consciousness, crashing into the door of the temple as morning came. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Natto - (Japanese: Nut)  
> Rakkas - (Rakkasei - Japanese: Peanuts


	12. Lesson One

Age 746

The moment Tamega's eyes opened, after her rough landing at the temple gates, her training began. Every morning at dawn, the bell at the top of the temple would resound over the mountain, and she would race to the central chamber with the other thirty or so students. Some were seemingly as old as Master Rakkas, a few were young children that looked barely old enough to walk. 

Master Rakkas would tap his cane from the railing overlooking the central chamber, and every student would stomp a foot, take a stance, and then in sync with tap after tap, would punch the air in front of them. After several taps and punches, he would hop down from his perch, and begin mercilessly smacking those he deemed in poor form.

By the end of the first week, Tamega was covered in a slew of critique bruises. Her body ached with every movement, having never had the chance to truly recover from her mad dash to the temple. Resting her bruised, broken body on the crude wooden bed that had been provided for her, she took this moment to rest, choosing to fast and nap rather than join the other students for lunch.

"TAMEGA!"

With a sharp gasp, Tamega sprinted toward the main chamber, where Master Rakkas stood peering down at her. 

"You will fetch water. After, you will join Master Amond in the courtyard." 

Her mind screaming in pain alongside her body, Tamega nodded and offered a respectful bow, before sprinting to fetch two pails of water and heading toward the stream that trickled from the top of the mountain. 

With her task complete, Tamega hurried toward the center courtyard, where a burly alien sat feeding all manner of wildlife. Her presence detected, the animals scurried in every direction to escape the intruder.

"Ah, you must be the new student.. I am Amond. Master Rakkas says you have potential, but you are woefully inexperienced." Rising to his feet and clashing his fists together, Amond offered a unique bow unlike any Tamega had seen before, though she did her best to respond in kind.

"My name is Tamega. I'm sorry if I scared the animals.." 

Amond offered a hearty chuckle. "It is no trouble. Though you will have plenty of time to practice your silent stepping. You will be learning from me from morning until mid-day, every day. I may have a softer approach to teaching than Master Rakkas, but I'll not suffer tardiness or laziness." 

Tamega offered a warm smile, and nodded eagerly. 

Stepping toward Tamega, Amond pulled something from his pocket and wrapped it over her eyes and behind her head. Tamega lifted her hands in confusion, reaching out trying to find where had moved to. 

"Master Amond? I can't see." Tamega could easily remove the blindfold, but waited, confused at why he would choose to obscure her vision. 

With a soft belly laugh, Amond paced from side to side as he spoke. "Your eyes are as valuable a tool as any other on your person, but they are only one piece of an entire set. You must learn to use all tools at your disposal. Sound, smell, touch, even taste. Use your other four senses, and as you reach out with your energy, use them to paint the whole picture and see me." 

Tamega focused as hard as she could, her feet tensing in the grass surrounding her, her aura flickering as she tried to hone in on the source of his voice. "Just breathe. You don't have to tense every muscle in your body to look at what's straight in front of you." 

Tamega inhaled, relaxing her sore muscles. All five of her senses, for a brief moment, seemed more aware, more awake, and for a single moment, she could feel the outline of Amond behind her, jumping and staring in his direction. 

Clapping, Amond approached her and took the blindfold from her eyes. "Not bad for a first attempt, though you've got a lot of catching up to do." Cracking his neck and taking a fighting stance, he stared Tamega down. "Now, show me your form." 

Tamega blinked. "My.. Form?" 

Amond nodded. "Your fighting stance. Show me how your people stand when challenged."

Crossing her arms with embarrassment, she replied meekly. "I.. Don't have a fighting stance.."

Sighing, Amond stood upright in a more relaxed stance. "Ahhh, I see.. I suppose that is a good place for us to start."

After several hours of various lessons in energy control, fighting stances, and even balance training, Amond took a seat on a fallen tree and offered Tamega a packed lunch. Eagerly accepting, she sat on the log with her new teacher and began scarfing down the meal. 

"I wish to learn more about you, Tamega. Off-world visitors are rare, and.. Typically not cause for celebration."

Tamega swallowed a large bite, and turned to face Amond. "Well.. I'm from a planet called Gyuu." 

Amond took a bite of his own meal as he spoke. "And are the people of Gyuu fighters like you?" 

She shook her head no. "My people are peaceful, before I was born I don't even think they understood the concept of fighting. I guess.. That comes from my father's side of the family." 

Amond took pause. "Your father?" 

Nodding softly, Tamega tried to speak, still reluctant to discuss Niragi. "My father was not from Gyuu. He was of a race of warriors called Saiyans." 

Amond leaped from his chair, staring down at Tamega as if she had struck him. Tamega looked up at him with worried confusion. "Master Amond?" 

Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath before trying to speak. "Tamega... Under no circumstances can you tell anyone here that you are a Saiyan." 

His words struck her. "But... Master Amond, I'm.. Not a Saiyan.." 

Amond held his face in his hands and tried to breath, as memories came flooding back. "Tamega, when you arrived, you saw the village, correct? The people, the buildings, you SAW them, yes?" 

Nodding softly, Tamega shrunk in her seat. 

"One year ago, a Saiyan and his forces attacked Natto. Most of our warriors were killed, they razed our villages and took what they wanted. Master Rakkas and his students fought to drive them off, but.. Everyone in the temple, and the village, we're all that are left of our people."

Tamega was in shock. She'd experienced her father's cold nature first-hand, but the depths of Saiyan malice was something she could never have imagined. 

"If anyone found out that you were a Saiyan, I don't know what they would do."

Tamega nodded, staring at the ground as her thoughts overwhelmed her.

"..That's.. Enough for one day. I'll meet you here at dawn. Do not be late." 

As the sun was beginning to disappear over the horizon, Tamega found a secluded spot beneath the temple, and split after having stayed merged for weeks. 

Tamegi covered her mouth as she screamed with rage, her tail flicking frantically, Kreema resting a hand on her shoulder and trying her best to stifle the infectious emotion.

"W-What are we going to do?! We can't stay here forever, and what if someone finds out?!" Tamegi was frantic, tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Kreema merely embraced her, hugging her tight to shut down the explosive fountain of fury trying to overwhelm them both. "We are not Saiyans. It does not matter who are father was, we are not monsters." 

Tamegi crumpled into her sister, the twins falling to the ground in a mess of tears as night crept in around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amond (Japanese: Amondo - Almond)


	13. Outcast

Age 746

A month passed, and the fruits of Tamega's training quickly became apparent. Master Amond was apprehensive about teaching the child of a Saiyan, but his fears were put to rest when he entered the courtyard one morning to find Tamega meditating, surrounded by birds and rodents perching on her head and limbs.

Through practice, dedication, and a touch of stubborness, Tamega took every lesson Amond taught her to heart. After training blindfolded for several days, Tamega asked Amond if she could keep the blindfold, enjoying the challenge of forcing herself not to use her eyes.

Tamega wore the blindfold nearly always, even while sleeping. After weeks of training to see without her eyes, it became almost second nature to her.

One morning, Tamega entered the courtyard just as the sun was rising, but Amond was nowhere to be seen. Before she could turn to go and search for him, she heard the sound of wind displacing above her, and jumped backwards, as her teacher crashed into the ground where she had been standing.

"Time for a sparring match. Lose the blindfold, you're not ready to fight without your eyes."

Relucantly, she obeyed, tugging the blindfold down and stuffing it into her robes. The moment she looked up, Amond's fist was almost to her face, giving her only an instant to duck and push his hand away. 

"Tch, that was a close one. Maybe you're not ready." Leaping into the air, Amond tried to force his knee into her head, Tamega only just managing to bring her arms up to shield herself. Amond punched at her again and again, forcing her to duck and spin to protect her face and body.

Rotating away from Amond and stopping with her hands on the ground, she charged and jumped, drawing her right arm back as if to strike, before instead driving her right foot forward toward his chest.

Amond winced, before smirking and grabbing her foot. "That was clever.. Or it would be, if not fighting an opponent three times your size." Tugging her by the foot, Amond slammed her to the ground beneath him, and sat on her stomach, his weight feeling like a boulder crushing her. Lifting her arms up over her face and twisting her wrist, he kept her pinned and restrained. "Yield." 

Tamega strained to wriggle free, refusing to give in. Hoisting her legs in the air underneath Amond, they raised far enough to touch the back of his head, before slamming down into the grass for traction. Trying to forcibly raise herself off the ground, Tamega gritted her teeth and growled, as Amond used all of his weight to force her back down. 

With a smirk, Tamega dropped, her feet coming off the ground and throwing Amond off balance for only a moment, before both of her feet came crashing against the back of his head, hurtling him off of her and giving her a chance to spiral back onto her feet, standing to face him. 

Amond roared with laughter, raising a hand in admittance while the other rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head. "I yield, I yield! Aha.. That was fantastic. You've come a long way in a short time. 

Exhaling as if she had been holding her breath, she bowed respectfully to her teacher. "Thank you, Master Amond.."

Turning toward the edge of the mountain, Amond pointed down to the village. "I want you to head down and prepare a fire for cooking. Master Rakkas will be descending at noon to distribute food." 

Tamega eagerly nodded, beaming at the chance to help ease the pain of the villagers. Jumping into the air and flying in the direction of the village, she spotted some fallen trees that would make excellent lumber, collecting a pile of logs as she flew. 

Landing near the tent that Master Rakkas had been handing out food at when she first arrived, Tamega spotted what looked to be a firepit with a metal pot for cooking. Splitting the logs she had collected, she placed them in a circle under the pot, before realizing Master Amond had not told her what else to do. "Hm, I suppose I could find someone to talk to.." 

Spotting a man struggling to lift a wooden beam, she hovered over toward him and grasped it with both hands. "Here, I can help," Tamega hoisted the wood beam over her shoulder, the man staring in awe, pointing to the pile of lumber nearby. Weakly, the man replied with a shocked "Th-Thank y-you.." 

Dropping the wood in the pile, Tamega noticed a child sitting in the dirt alone. Walking up to the child and resting her hands on her knees, Tamega spoke softly, "Are you alright?"

The child looked up at her, as if she had been the first person to speak to them in weeks, unsure of how to respond. 

Tamega offered a hand, and the child took it. She lifted them over her shoulders and sat them on her neck, keeping them company while she continued searching for people to help.

When Master Rakkas arrived at mid-day, he was graced with a crowd of people surrounding Tamega, who was entertaining several children dangling from her arms and legs as she floated in the air. At the tap of a cane, Tamega fell, the children giggling hysterically as she jumped to her feet and lowered her head. 

"What's going on here?" 

Tamega stammered, her head still lowered. "I-I was instructed to prepare a fire for you, and after finishing that I was trying to find people to help while waiti-" 

Another crash of the cane struck the ground to silence her. "These people are under **my** care. You do not help them unless you are **told** to help them." 

Tamega nodded. "I'm s-sorry, Master Rakkas.."

With his message clearly given, he turned and began walking toward the food tent, the villagers dispersing to find a place in the line for a hot meal, with Tamega left conflicted. One of the children, the same child that she had checked on, gave her a tiny pink flower. "To match your eyes!" 

Tamega blinked. "My eyes are pink?" The child merely giggled, and wandered off. Smiling down at the gift, she tucked the pink flower in her hair, where it sat neatly.

~~\--------------------~~

After a lengthy day of sparring with Master Amond and helping Master Rakkas feed the villagers, Tamega crawled into her bed and passed out, ready for much needed sleep.

The moment she closed her eyes, a bag was pulled over her head, and her hands were bound. Despite her protests and her attempt to break the coils wrapped around her wrists and legs, she felt weak in the bindings, as if they were sapping her strength. ~~  
~~

Forcibly carried through the darkness, she could feel the patter of dozens of feet taking her down the mountain. She focused, and could 'see' the faces and figures of her fellow students, now her captors. Trying to remain calm, she steadied her breathing to prepare for whatever may come.

She could feel herself being lifted upright, as her bindings were tied to a post. The bag was torn from her face, and one by one, her fellow students began to savagely beat her, punching her across the face and stomach again and again. Tamega couldn't bring herself to be angry at them, she was more confused than anything else. 

One of the larger students reeled back, and landed a powerful blow to her mouth. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, she chuckled. "S-So.. Does this mean I'm part of the secret midnight fight club, or..?" 

Angrily, he launched another punch toward her mouth, giving her the opportunity to bite down on his fist. A student shouted in the darkness, "You see?! I told you, she's a Saiyan! Only a Saiyan would be so pitifully savage!" The larger student howled in rage, trying to free himself from her teeth as another student rushed to beat her into releasing him. Kicking her bound feet off of the pole, she managed to swing herself onto the other student's shoulders, wrapping him in the bindings with her, as the weight of the three of them slowly tore the post down toward the ground. 

Lifting her arms up and over the bent wooden pole, Tamega slammed both of her bound hands into the larger student's face, before headbutting the shorter one. The crowd of them descended on Tamega like a pack of wolves, as she focused her breathing and tore the bindings apart with a mighty roar. Slipping her feet out of the second set of coils, she gripped the wrappings in one hand and bound them in her knuckles, slamming them into another attacker's chest before firing a blast of air that sent several students on their backs.

"So then.. I guess the secret's out." Smirking, something inside of her wanted them to come at her, as she gritted her teeth in a disturbing smile. "What are you gonna do about it?" 

All at once, what remained of the still-conscious assailants rushed her, three of them leaping overhead and trying to punch down at her. Surrounded on all sides, she squatted, and opened her hands to catch the oncoming fists from above, redirecting them into the crowd before unleashing a barrage of strikes and kicks in every direction. 

As her fellow students lay bruised in piles all around her, one remained, sprinting at her as thunder quaked the ground with his every step. 

Just before he could reach her, Tamega reeled back and slammed her hand forward catching his face. Pulling him closer, she let loose a single, ear-piercing roar, a scream so forceful that it dazed the attacker and sent him on his back. 

"ENOUGH." 

Behind her, she saw Master Rakkas and Master Amond, along with three other masters she did not recognize. A student tried to reach for Master Rakkas, begging for help. "M-Master! She- She went wild! She's a monst-" In a motion faster than any of them could spot, Master Rakkas landed on the student's back, knocking him out cold, "SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!" 

Turning to Tamega, he coldly stated, "Your transport is repaired. You can go." 

Tamega, surrounded by her fellow students on the ground, stared at Master Rakkas, baffled. "I don't understand.. You're sending me away? They- They attacked ME!"

Master Rakkas pointed his cane, and the masters began helping the students to their feet. "This temple is a place of learning, not a kennel for hounds."

Tears formed in Tamega's eyes, and her fist clenched for only a moment. Before she could even deter herself from the line of thinking, Master Rakkas was on her, and she was on the ground, his cane in her face. "When you arrived, I saw potential in you. Potential for great good, and for great evil. I thought to tame you, but I realize now that you cannot tame a beast." Hopping down off of Tamega, Master Rakkas made his way back toward the temple, as Amond helped another student off the ground. 

"M-Master Amond... P-Please... I don't want to go.." 

Her teacher clenched, his heart heavy. "He's not punishing you Tamega.. He's trying to save you..." Tamega stared at him, lost and confused. 

"Someone saw you in the forest with your tail out. I don't know how you've managed to hide it until now, but they saw you speaking with someone. They said it was a girl that looked like another Saiyan." Sighing, he turned to look down at her. "By tomorrow, the entire village will know. They will come for you. You must go now, before it is too late." Before she could call out to him, he was gone, and yet again Tamega was alone. 

Clutching her face and wiping the tears from her eyes, she felt the pink flower in her hair, remarkably left untouched in the brawl. She found a mound of dirt in front of the broken wooden post, and planted the flower there, before ascending and flying toward her ship.

Pressing a button under the hull to descend the ramp, she scaled upwards into her ship, finding that the damage had been mostly repaired. She was impressed by how surprisingly well the ship had been patched up, and was relieved that the food supplies had remained untarnished. 

Taking a seat at the table in the ship's kitchen compartment, she sighed, stretching out her arms and sighing. A glint of light caught her attention, and Tamega looked up to see what looked like a shard of ceramic material, bundled up with a note attached to the top. 

"Tamega, this is an ancient artifact discovered eons ago, said to be one of six shards of a vessel that, when brought together, can grant any wish. Perhaps, in some way, it may come to be of use to you, more use than it has found in the temple cellar for a thousand years regardless. 

Please don't hate us. The people of Natto have been beaten down, they are frightened, but they only want to protect themselves. One day, when we are strong again, maybe you can come back and show us how strong you've become as well. 

Be kind, always,

Master Rakkas" 

Tamega clutched the note, and attached it to one of the cupboards overhead with a smile. Turning the shard over in her hands, she fidgeted with it in her fingers curiously, before setting it on the table and moving to the main terminal to chart a new destination.


	14. Deadly Dance

Age 747

A dust storm howled across a nameless, barren world. The sound drowned out everything but Tamega's thoughts, as she sat with her legs crossed in deep meditation. She sought to reflect on everything that had happened to her in the past year. Despite a sense of wandering, lost and without direction, she felt she now was who she truly needed to be. With the lessons of Master Amond and Master Rakkas, she felt.. Closer to being complete. 

Her true self. Her whole self.

With a slow, deep breath, Tamegi and Kreema split again. 

"I'm getting more and more comfortable with being Tamega. It's.. Really weird, like it's as if Tamega's the 'real' me, you know?"   
  
Kreema nodded reluctantly. "It is.. Strangely enjoyable. Despite my own talent with energy control, feeling that strong is.. Intoxicating. It is slightly worrying." 

In silence for a moment, Tamegi finally spoke up. "That... Feeling we had. On Natto, when we were attacked.." Kreema dreaded reliving that moment, and shuddered. 

"It was like we were.. Enjoying it. Like we wanted them to give us a reason to.. To.." Tamegi had to stop herself, crossing her arms and sighing. "I don't know if that was me, or you, but.. I'm sorry I let us go that far." 

Kreema shook her head no, her hair jostling about in her face. "Whatever that was, it was both of us. It's equally our responsibility to keep our emotions in check as Tamega." With a nod, Tamegi hugged Kreema, as the dust storm began to settle. 

The sun shone across the barren wasteland, which now lay quiet and tranquil. 

The calm was abruptly broken, as Tamegi and Kreema both stared at each other, sensing something approaching from far away. "You felt it too?" Kreema nodded to her sister, and the two joined hands, merging as Tamega once again. 

Standing ready for a fight, a twisted source of energy could be felt careening toward them from across the endless desert. In the distance, Tamega could spot a purple hue, coming closer and closer, tensing as she reminded herself to breathe.

With a gust of wind, the mysterious figure landed in front of Tamega. Standing imposingly, he was unmistakably alien. His skin was a dark shade of purple, with otherworldly red, swollen padding across his arms and torso. Atop his head were sharp spikes, and his ears were long and pointed.

Raising a hand covered by a black, spiked gauntlet, the stranger stared at Tamega with blood-red eyes. In his hand was a shard of what looked like the same ceramic material as the shard gifted to her by Master Amond, but this one was glowing. 

"Haha..! 'Bout time I finally found one. Wanna hand it over? Or you think you're tough enough?"

Tamega sighed, cracking her knuckles and stretching her limbs. "I think so. Let's find out." 

The stranger cackled. "Gahahaha! Seriously? What are you, like, ten? C'mon, just give me the shard and I don't gotta kill you, little girl." 

With a groan, she flared her aura. "Ugh, are we doing this or what?" 

Shrugging, the stranger mused. "Alright then... Gimme your name. So I can at least remember ya after I kill ya." 

Glaring as she stared him down, she smirked. "My name is Tamega. Who do I have the honor of beating the crap out of?" 

Striking a pose, the stranger slammed a fist toward the sky and shouted. "You got the honor of meeting fate at the hands of the Scourge of Namek, One of the Six Warlords of the Demon Clan, Smoothest Slaughterer this side of the Solar System, the one, the ONLY, DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISCOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" 

His shout resounding for miles around, Tamega stared for a moment, dumbfounded at his absurd hype. "Are you.. Are we fighting, or dancing..?" 

Her question was answered by an arm stretching from across the plains to grip her neck, pulling himself toward her and slamming her into the ground. "Kid, they're one and the same!" Spinning and tossing himself into the air, Disco began rotating in place, spinning fast enough that his boots began to glow with heat, before launching at Tamega like a blazing wheel of fire, as he screamed out, "LOOSE BUZZSAW!"

The blazing kick cracked against Tamega's stomach with enough force that the ground around her cratered. Miraculously, she had managed to catch his foot with both hands, bouncing from the hole she was buried in and flinging him away.

Dusting herself off, she groaned, her aura flaring and causing her hair to wave above her. "I was not ready for today.."


	15. Cry Thunder

Age 747  
Echoes of clashing fists resounded across the desert. Disco's battle with Tamega had been raging for more than an hour, craters and uplifted rocks littering the barren field. Tamega was out of breath, having poured every ounce of her being into this fight, fully aware she was fighting for her life against this purple lunatic. 

Until abruptly, Disco broke his stance and stood up straight. "Alright, okay okay okay. Enough." Confused, Tamega kept her stance, wary of his possible deception. "You got the moves, you got the flow, but you've got no FEEL. You're just flailing and straining your muscles." 

Tamega winced. "What the hell are you on about..?" 

Disco posed, swinging his arms up and down as he began running swiftly in place. "You gotta FEEL it. I told you, there's no difference between fighting and dancing! Without any feeling, you're just a lazy tryhard."   
Groaning and rubbing the back of his neck, Disco casually walked toward Tamega, who braced herself for another attack. "I know I'm just gonna like, kill ya and take the shard you got. But I can't let this disgrace of a warrior go down swinging and flailing. We gotta do this thing right!" Disco raised his right fist, pointing to it with his left index finger. "Punch me here." 

Blinking, she obliged, slamming her fist forward with as much speed and strength as she could muster. With all of her focus on that single strike, Disco's arm reeled, and he responded with a lighter, but still nasty left hook to Tamega's cheek, leaving her face stinging. "Broke my arm, but for what? Left yourself wide open!" 

Gripping his mangled arm, he screamed and tore it from his shoulder, gripping it tight in his opposite hand as a sickly purple energy enveloped it. His own dismembered arm calcified, growing large razor-sharp thorns, becoming functionally a staff covered in barbs. 

Tamega shrugged. "You have a weapon now, but you still only have one arm." 

Launching toward Tamega, Disco roared with a demented smile on his face, as another arm ripped out through the gaping wound in his shoulder. Covered in black blood as it reached for his staff, he gripped it with both hands as he spun and slammed it down on her head.

"Still talkin' shit? Keep gettin' hit." Holding the disturbing organic staff in front of him, he beckoned her forward again. "With feeling this time." 

Tamega took a deep breath, and did as he said. Without thinking, she fired off a punch above the staff, which he quickly deflected, and returned in kind with a strike directed to her midsection.

With only a split second to react, she quickly guarded with her wrists. Disco paused for a moment, waiting. "You almost had it. You gotta keep the rhythm!" Before she could 'take her turn', Disco swung another strike of his staff at her legs, forcing her to jump to avoid it. Hovering for only a moment, she struck at his face, nearly landing the hit before he could duck. 

As she landed on the ground, Disco swung for her knees, with Tamega kicking the staff away and striking at the hand holding the it. "Haha, now you're getting it!" Tossing the staff at her, the thorns flared as if they were about to explode. Ducking to the side, Tamega launched a loose, swift strike to Disco's hand.

The two were now locked in a synchronized, harmonic clash of fists, the steady beat almost like music to their ears. Disco seemed to be enjoying it a little too much, and even Tamega found herself smiling to the beat of her own punches. 

The pace gradually increased, Disco trying to outpace her slowly over time, but found himself impressed by Tamega's ability to match him blow for blow. In turn, Tamega caught on quickly, managing even to catch Disco off guard several times with her own upping of the tempo.  
Though even with her uncanny stamina and speed, Tamega found herself beginning to falter. With a smirk, she focused her energy into a single fist, setting off an explosive blast that sent Disco flying in an upheaval of dirt and dust. 

As the smoke settled, Disco stood, unharmed but scuffed and dirty. "And here you almost had me impressed. You didn't even give it a name! Anyone can just fire off potshots, but without the feeling behind it, it ain't goin' anywhere!" 

Raising his purple arms, numerous boulders of stone and earth erupted from the ground, coated in a purple hue as they surrounding Tamega. Gripping a boulder each in both arms, Disco rushed toward her, slamming the boulders against her like boxing gloves. The other boulders encircled her, pinning her in place as Disco leaped from the ground. The boulders rotated around her, all simultaneously pinning her from atop her head.

With an ecstatic scream, Disco flew at Tamega with a kick aimed at the boulders crushing her, roaring out, "LOOOOOOVE STACK!" 

As his foot pierced the uppermost boulder, all at once they exploded around her, detonating in a hellish storm of stone-shrapnel and wicked energy. Tamega nearly collapsed, being tossed around in the firestorm before being thrown to the ground by the overwhelming force. 

Disco let loose a fearsome "Hoooooooooooh!" Crossing his arms and cackling, he stared at the crumpled mess struggling to lift herself. "Seems like we're done here, eh boss?" 

Clutching the dirt, Tamega slowly rose to her feet, smirking. Covered in bruises, her hair slick with sweat and blood, she realized there wasn't much fight left in her. 

Yet, that might be all she needed.

"You said I need an attack with a name right? I think I've got one."

Disco's mouth opened, his surprise obvious. "Oooooh? Well let's see it, hotshot!"

Tamega took a deep breath, her entire body screaming in exhaustion. Every fiber of her being sore and ready to give up for just a moment of rest. Pooling all of the energy she had left, she held one hand out behind her, reaching out and sensing the energy in the air around them. Her energy, Disco's, the energy expended from their battle, the energy from conflicts from the planet's past, she could feel it all.   
Rising into the air, Tamega's right hand relaxed, feeling the energy flowing into her. Nowhere enough to heal her, but enough to give her a feeling of alertedness, as if she were more awake and temporarily energized. Her hair fluttered as the energy swirled around her, sparks flickering off her body. 

Tensing her left hand, the energy began to focus in her palm, crackling with electrical plasma that scattered and danced in every direction. Disco could feel the build-up of energy from the ground, and cackled. "Now that's some serious style! Bring it then! And don't forget the name this time!"

Slamming his hands together and forming a ball of energy between them, Disco gathered what energy he himself had left, which formed a disturbing sphere of sickly purple and black energy, ready to tear apart anything it touched. With a smirk, he aimed the sphere at Tamega.

With one arm still behind her, Tamega launched at Disco like a bullet, her right hand aimed at him as she sped through the air. Disco held the sickly conjured sphere in his palm, and roared, "Tainted Hatred!"

Her velocity now locked in, Tamega had no option to dodge, evade, or otherwise escape. This was everything she had, at the risk of her own life. Her eyes flared, and she screamed as her hand erupted with a screeching pillar of pure plasma that tore through the air. For a split moment, her eyes flashed rapidly from pink, to alternating orange and golden, her hair flickering with color. The lightning strike expanded into a massive beam, which slowly engulfed Disco's own beam, as she kept flying toward it unable to stop, as if propelled on an unseen zipline. The force of her propulsion coupled with her erupting hand meant that the only way was forward, coming closer and closer to Disco on the ground, as the two were blinded by the light.

"STORMING HALBERD!"

A sound of thunder, and then, a deafening silence.


	16. Homeward Bound

Hours later...

With a scream, Kreema awoke. She found herself in a crater, Tamegi next to her. Though the two of them were sore beyond what they thought was possible, and covered in bruises, they seemed relatively unharmed.   
Tamegi was next to wake, though surprisingly far slower. Crawling to hug her sister, the two of them surveyed their surroundings, confused as to the outcome of the fight.

Above the crater, Disco stood down at them, panting for breath. "Th-That was.. Some s-serious shit... Hahhn... Hahaaaa.." It was then, the two realized his entire left shoulder and arm were missing, along with a fair portion of his left side, even some of his face left mangled and bloody.

Suddenly, his blood-red eyes flashed, and his energy began to boil around him. Screaming in pain, the wounds healed, and his arm regrew from his shoulder, as he collapsed to the ground on his new hand for balance.  
Tamegi jumped to her feet, ready to continue the fight, but Disco raised his opposite hand. "W-Wait.. I can still walk, but that shit... Whooooo... Regenerating like that took pretty much all I had left out of me... We'll... Call it a draw for now, ehh..?" 

Tamegi scowled, moving toward him ready to shut him up for good. "You think after all that we're just going-" 

Moving in front of her and raising a hand, Kreema quickly shut down her sister. "Yes. We are. He's no threat to us now, it would be wrong to end his life." 

At a loss for words, Tamegi stammered, pointing at him in rage. "He tried to KILL us! He's a monster!" 

Kreema merely shook her head. "He's a lunatic, and he failed to kill us." 

Moving past her sister, Tamegi ran toward Disco and raised a fist, ready to strike him in the back of the skull.

"We are NOT Saiyans!"

The words pierced Tamegi, as she turned back toward Kreema. Disco stared up at Tamegi with a weak, disturbed grin.

Kreema climbed out from the crater to join her sister, gently pulling down her hand. "We're Gyuuman, not Saiyan, right? We are not monsters. We do not have to kill him.." 

Tamegi winced, clenching her fists and pulling Kreema with her as she began walking back towards their ship. 

"Hahaaa... I know your energy now, girls.. Just a quick nap, and I'll be back for that shard.. Wherever you go in the galaxy, now that I've caught your trail, I'll be able to find you.."

Staring down at him, rage in her eyes, she stayed silent as she hurried herself and Kreema to get offworld and as far away from Disco as possible. 

His hand finally giving out, Disco collapsed, rolling onto his back and cackling up at the departing ship. "I'll be watching.. Youuuu.."

  
~~\-----------------------------------------------------------~~

Curling up in their respective bunks, Tamegi and Kreema did their best to relax with how sore their bodies were. After a few hours of writhing in agony, Kreema finally floated down from the top bunk, and wandered toward the main terminal of the ship.

Curious, Tamegi followed, gritting her teeth as she clutched her sides in pain. "Nngh.. Got a new destination in mind..?"

Kreema nodded. "We need proper healing this time. I do not think 'sleeping it off' will be an effective method this time." 

Tamegi leaned against the wall, still winching. "So, where to..?" 

With a soft sigh, Kreema entered the coordinates. "It's been almost two years since we left. I think it's time we went home. At least, just for a visit." 

Smirking, Tamegi shrugged. "As long as we don't stay too long, I wouldn't mind seeing everyone again." 

Closing her eyes, she tried to reach out across the stars, looking for Planet Gyuu but unable to find it from such a distance. Sighing, she pondered out loud. "I wonder how home has changed, if at all.."


	17. Never Go Home Again

Age 748

Tears welled in Kreema's eyes, as she stared down in shock. Over the skies of Planet Gyuu, her home had become unrecognizable. 

The boundless forests that once accented the village she called home had been torn apart, shredded by machinery and used as fuel and for building materials. Every house had been toppled, replaced by alien architecture, the sort of which she had never seen. 

Tamegi, however, recognized it all too well. 

The Great Monastery, once the home and sanctuary of the Gyuuman Monks, was warped and defiled into a heaping pile of crude steel. Gyuumans could be seen constantly entering and exiting in queues, with warriors in armor striking them with whips to remind them not to dawdle.

And visible were numerous warriors with familiar simian tails. 

Gripping her sister tight, both for comfort and out of her own anxiety, she tried to speak, her voice cracking. "Kreema, we have to merge. We have no idea what we're up against, we can't give them a chance to get the drop on us."

Kreema swallowed hard, wiping the tears away and clutching Tamegi's hand tight, the two vanishing in a bright glow.

The moment the ship landed, Tamega could sense the warriors approaching. The moment the ramp descended, she sped out into the open, moving faster than they were able to identify.

Standing and facing them as she waited for them to make the first move, they attempted to read her battle power with their Scouters. Smirking, apparently amused by the answer given, they raised their blasters and aimed to fire. 

As the beams were about to hit her, Tamega leaped into the air, the circle of grunts obliterating each other, save for one who narrowly avoided a poorly aimed shot. 

In his ear, his scouter blared with an angry voice, "Report! What is the situation?!" 

Rushing to grab him by his armor, Tamega lifted him into the air as he frantically scrambled to respond. "O-One combatant! Possible Gyuuman hybrid! S-send for reinfo-"

His rambling was cut short by a strike to his neck, leaving him unconscious as Tamega dropped him on the ground. 

Looking around at the barren wasteland that was once home to Tamegi and Kreema, she felt a sense of loss. "This is the first time I've ever really been here.. But I feel... Anger for something lost.."

Shaking the feeling off, Tamega sprinted toward the Great Monastery, as a wave of soldiers rained down upon her, surrounding her in a flurry of energy shots from their hands and blasters.

Leaping onto one of the alien warriors as she ran, Tamega jumped off of him as the other soldiers eviscerated one of their own in an attempt to bury her in blaster fire. Jumping from soldier to soldier, she used them for support as she bounded through the air toward the monastery.

Nearly there, the soldiers suddenly backed off their assault, watching her as she continued toward her destination, until suddenly, she could feel something speeding towards her.

A Saiyan warrior blocked her path, covered in scars and blinded in one eye. "You'll go no further, mongrel."

Tamega scowled, rage building in her as her energy swelled. An aura field boiled around her, reaching out far enough that the Saiyan was left unnerved.

"I'm gonna kick your ass for what you've done to my home."

Before she could move to strike, the soldier was shocked by a blaring on his scouter, quickly moving to press it. "...I understand, it will be done, L-Lord Niragi."

Tamega's heart began to race. Both parts of her tried to believe they had misheard. She tensed, hyperventilating for reasons she couldn't understand. "He- He c-couldn't... He- H-How... N-No..."

Something inside her snapped. As if instinctually, she rushed at the Saiyan warrior, her mind on autopilot as she savagely assaulted him. By the time she'd come to her senses, he lay crumpled in the dirt, with hundreds of soldiers having now arrived to support their broken commander.

Realizing her outburst had cost her time to escape, she did the only thing she could think of.

Raising her arms, Tamegi and Kreema split in a quick flash of light, their hands still raised in surrender. 

Kreema stood trembling, staring at her sister, whose eyes were filled with determined rage, her tail flicking with frustrated irritation.

"Take us to our father."


	18. Never Enough

Age 748

Escorted through the once hallowed halls of the Great Monastery, the twin sisters trembled. Kreema shook with fear, the sight of the crude metal bars lining the walls, and lines of perverse circuitry defaming every square inch of what had once been her home. 

Tamegi's every muscle tensed, trembling wiith rage. She thought she had rid herself of her father forever, yet the thought of facing him again after all these years made her blood boil.

The battalion of soldiers marched behind them, leading the two toward the main hall, where twin doors parted to reveal what had been converted into a throne room. Above the rest of the room sat a chair of thorny steel, a single Saiyan rising from it to greet the new arrivals. 

"Leave us." His voice boomed throughout the hall, and the soldiers quickly spun in place and ran in formation.

Kreema and Tamegi both audibly gasped, as they spotted a figure next to the Saiyan. 

Yoguru, covered in bruises and marks, her ceremonial robes tattered and torn. 

"M-Mama..!" Tamegi moved to rush to her side, but Kreema, ever the voice of logic, reached out to grab her hand. Without any words between them, the two remained standing in place.

The Saiyan descended from his throne, and approached the two with slow, thundering steps, before standing and staring down at them both.

He said nothing, pressing on his scouter to take a reading. The scouter merely bleeped various error messages, offering nothing but further questions. 

"My men say that you single-handedly crushed over a hundred elite soldiers, Saiyans and otherwise. My second-in-command has seven fractures in his spine, and a collapsed lung." 

He leaned in, staring Tamegi in the face with a frightening scowl. Her heart raced, in that moment there being no doubt, her father was here.

"And yet, after all these years, the most modern scouters still cannot read your battle power."

He plucked the device from his face, and crushed it in his hand. "It doesn't matter. You're here now, and we have plenty of catching up to do. I suppose we should start with the important part.." 

Niragi sighed, staring out the window of the Great Monastery. "Planet Vegeta is gone."

Tamegi and Kreema both snapped to attention, their heads spinning to stare at him in surprise. 

An unsettling chuckle escaped his throat. "I... I witnessed it myself. The ball of flame that sundered the ground and split it in two. My comrades burned all around me. When I close my eyes..." 

Niragi turned and faced them, a glossy, maddened stare in his gaze. "I can still feel my flesh searing..." His muscles tensed, clenching his fists as the ground around him shook. "I can still feel my bones cracking in the overwhelming force of the blast..." His aura flashed, and his eyes glinted. "The last thing I saw, my world sundering around me, before the heat took my eyes..." 

A maniacal cackle erupted, as the floor began to tear around him. "AND YET HERE I STAND, ALIVE! THE MOST POWERFUL SAIYAN OF ALL TIME!"

Tamegi stood in front of Kreema, who trembled at the sight of Niragi's overwhelming show of power. 

"But, that doesn't mean I don't have use for you." Niragi took a single stride, and in a flash appeared in front of Tamegi. "You are still my daughter, you'll have a place at my side. Now that I know what you can do, you'll be my greatest weapon, just like I planned so many years ago.."

Tamegi snarled. "You have NO idea what we can do. You don't know ANYTHING."

Another cackle, as Niragi turned and faced away from the two again. "I let your mother live. I suppose I can let your pathetic sister live as well. I'm a monster, not a moron, I know I've got to let you keep some small comfort to keep you loyal." 

Before Tamegi could process it, Kreema suddenly stepped out in front of her, walking straight up to Niragi and staring up at him.

Niragi smirked, crossing his arms. "Got something to say?"

Kreema brushed the hair from her eyes and stared up at her father, not with rage, but a desperate sympathy. "Please, stop this. Take what you want, and go.. You have hurt so many already, we are asking that you just leave us in peace."

Niragi shrugged. "And what if I refuse? You know you can't stop me." 

Staring him in the eyes, Kreema begged. "Tata.. Please.." 

Wincing, Niragi raised a palm in front of his daughter's face . "Pitiful."

Tamegi moved on instinct alone, her feet bursting with energy as she tried to leap out to save Kreema. 

With a single exhale, Kreema rose her hands, and as the energy erupted from Niragi's hands, she drew her hands behind her, pulling his energy into her own hands and focusing it into two spheres. At that moment, Tamegi reached her, closing her arms around her as the two became one, kicking up a cloud of smoke.

When the dust cleared, Tamega stood with the twin spheres of energy still in both hands, clenching them tight and focusing them into serated blades. "You BASTARD..." 

Yoguru, who had stood observing, stared in awe at the unification of her daughters. "Tamegi.. Kreema.. You found what you were looking for."

Tamega's aura flared, hot enough to match Niragi's own engulfing aura. He snarled, confused but too enraged to care. With a scream, Tamega slammed the two energy saws against him, intending to tear apart the man she had once called her father.


	19. Never again

Age 748

The terrace of the Great Monastery burst, and every one of Niragi's soldiers and the Gyuuman monks alike turned to see two figures careening through the open sky. The industrial smog parted from the force of their clashing fists, the father and daughter fighting with every bit of power they could muster.

Niragi was in a blood rage, yet his face was still marked with a mad, scowling grin. His fist collided with Tamega's face, who took the brunt of the attack and slammed both hands around the oversized knuckle. With a roar, she focused her energy into a sonic scream of fury, dazing Niragi for only a moment.

All the time she needed. With a swift mid-air divekick, Tamega slammed both feet against Niragi's wide chest, knocking the wind out of him. Gripping him by the hair, she used his own weight against him and sent him barreling toward the ground, landing with a massive impact that shook the ground for miles. 

Landing and focusing her hands, Tamega readied herself, pooling her energy to a single focused point. She waited for Niragi to rise from the cloud of debris surrounding the impact crater, poised to strike.   
A hand gripped Tamega's leg, pulling her off her feet and swinging her like a ragdoll. Tossing her into the air like a leaf in the wind, Niragi rushed at her and slammed his elbow against her face, stunning her. Gripping her by the robe, Niragi barreled fist after fist square into the center of her face. 

"So this is how you did it.. Hahahhh... Then show me, SHOW ME THE FULL EXTENT OF YOUR POWER!"

Tamega snarled, and slammed both hands hard against the sides of Niragi's head, causing his ears to ring. Faster than he could see the strikes, he felt a hundred piercing bullets across his face and chest. Tamega roared out, tears welling in her eyes as she assaulted him with all the force and speed she could amass. Her hands were like gusts of wind, barraging him with the force of a typhoon.

"LEAVE US **ALONE!** "

Her voice pierced his damaged ears, overwhelmed by the display of fury. Howling, Niragi shunted off the assault with a burst of energy, crashing his hands together and firing a beam at Tamega that tore across the horizon.  
Tamega, lost in her rage, punched through the eye of the beam, crashing her fists into Niragi's erupting palms and causing a plasmic explosion that consumed them both for a split second.

Niragi tried to center himself, searching for where she had gone, before an arm wrapped over his shoulder and another around his neck, two feet slamming into his spine and threatening to tear him in half with the force.  
Screaming, he tried to flail and free himself, even trying to strike her with his tail as it unwound from his waist and slammed again and again against her. Annoyed, Tamega took his tail in both hands, and bit down hard, her teeth digging into the flesh beneath the fur. With a scowl, she gripped the tail with her hands, and kicked Niragi as hard as she could, savagely tearing off his tail.

Before he could begin to fall out of the air, Niragi tensed his every muscle, turning to face Tamega and hissing through his teeth. "I'll.. KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

  
Tamega spat out her father's tail, gripping it in one hand as she dashed toward him to close the distance between them. Slashing it across his face, she used his own tail like a whip to beat him, a streak of blood forming across his cheek. He tried to punch her, and she whipped his hand away, earning a scowl of rage. Every movement he made, she whipped at, as if she were 'training' him.  
"Well? _We're waiting._ " 

  
Niragi lunged, throwing himself at her, and she responded by jumping toward him and tucking in her arms, delivering a rocketing kick that sent him flying.  
Finally coming to a crashing halt on the ground beneath them, Tamega hovered over him, ready to fire a beam at his heart, long past the point of mercy. There was no voice in her mind trying to say otherwise, both halves of her in perfect synchronized agreement.

  
Before she could strike, Niragi burst from the sundered soil, grabbing her by the throat. His energy skyrocketed, beyond what Tamega had thought he was capable of.   
"This is my full power. My men have only seen it once before, and measured it at over one-million." Tamega panicked, struggling as she writhed and wriggled, trying to free herself. She bit down on his hand, and he merely laughed, squeezing tighter.

  
Niragi tossed her hard against the ground, causing her to roll several feet before coming to a stop. Quickly rising, she readied herself, but he was faster than she could even process.  
She was overwhelmed. The rage, the pain, and now her father was stronger and faster than she could possibly compete with. Another sonic scream, all she could manage to earn herself a moment of reprieve, as Niragi cackled and backed away.

  
Tamega quickly ascended, getting as much distance as she could manage. Gulping down breath desperately, she began pooling energy from the surrounding air behind her, siphoning the positive energy in through her right hand. 

  
As plasmic electricity began to spark around her, Niragi realized what was happening, and began speeding toward her with a roar of anger. No time to fully prepare her attack, she charged, the beam firing as the gap between them closed.

  
Even with Niragi's overwhelming power, and Tamega's unprepared attempt, the force was enough to push Niragi back, the beam forcibly pushing him as Tamega flew, effectively impaling him as they sped toward the ground.

  
Niragi slammed his fists against Tamega's back, trying to stop the attack, fruitlessly as they landed, having returned where they started, a massive hole in the ceiling of the Great Monastery marking their conflict.

  
Tamega and Niragi slowly rose from the floor, staring at each other from opposite ends of his 'throne room'. Niragi realized despite the obvious gap in power between them, the ferocity of his daughters would allow them to fight seemingly forever. More than that, he needed to wholly break them, ensure their loyalty without question. If there was a shred of doubt that they could win..

  
And then, he spotted Yoguru, watching from behind his throne with bated breath.

Tamega, confused, realized where he was looking. His hand raised, pointing two fingers at the woman that had raised his daughters.

"Separate. Now."

Tamega didn't hear him, only one instinct screaming in her mind. Move. MOVE. FASTER. SAVE HER. **SAVE** -

The beam sped past Tamega's face, and pierced Yoguru, a hole visible clear through her stomach as she collapsed to the floor.

She wasn't fast enough.


	20. Never

She wasn't fast enough.

Niragi laughed in triumph. "Better act fast, that hole looks nasty! I don't think your mother has much time!"

His words were drowned out. The air grew warm, and Tamega clutched her face, tears rolling down her cheeks. Memories flashed, an entire lifetime in an instant. Feelings, emotions overwhelming her, until the rage took hold. 

The rage she had been burying all her life.

The shield around her mind burst, and like an avalanche, it crashed. 

Niragi could feel the change in the air. "Hm?" 

Tamega clutched her hair, pulling hard, as the power in her soured and began to explode.

Lightning crashed at Niragi's side, and Tamega turned to face him. Her eyes flashed, for a moment blinded, before turning green. Her hair began to rise, spiking and fluttering in the updraft created by her burning energy. All around her, her aura flared, swirling in a vortex of heat that threatened to burn him.

Tamega winced, the tears flowing endlessly. The pain overwhelming. The source of it right in front of her, waiting for her to reach out and snuff it out forever.  
With a final, piercing wail, her aura exploded, and her eyes blinded white with rage, she stared at him. Her hair, now spiked and flowing with golden energy, as plasma crackled around her, Niragi backed away in shock. 

"W-What.. How.."

A sonic wail surrounded the room, the windows of the Great Monastery shattering as the entire foundation shattered, the ground quaking with Tamega's pain as the world itself felt her fury.

With a single stride, the floor parting away from her as she moved, Tamega gripped Niragi's face in a single hand. All he could mutter was a meager squeak, as he was torn out through the wall, a massive hole left in their wake.  
Niragi now found himself at the mercy of a force of nature, blinded by the heat and force of Tamega's unwavering fury. He felt bone after bone crack, a typhoon of hate bending him and breaking him again and again. Every time he tried to flail and save himself, his only reward was another snapping bone.

Unforgiving, Tamega slammed him into the ground, lifting him by the neck from the crater around them before hammering him into it again. Fist after fist pounded his body, burying him as he could feel the soil swallowing him. 

In fear, he writhed in the dirt buried alive, before a light came to him. A single hand, tearing his face from the ground and tossing him into the air overhead.

Niragi screamed, as a hailstorm of energy bullets tore outwards from the ground, thrashing against him in an infinite agony.

Finally, utterly broken, Niragi fell, landing in front of Tamega. Tamega, still sensing the breath persisting in him, lifted him by the hair. Again, and again, and again, slow, methodical, rhythmic punches pelted his rib-cage. Coughing up blood, he tried to put up his mangled hands to find some shred of mercy in his daughters.

Tamega gripped both of his hands, interlocking their fingers, and bent his arms back until they snapped. Whatever this beast was, Tamega was no longer here.

Trying to back away with what bones in his legs remained in tact, Tamega stepped on them, slamming again and again until they bent in all the wrong ways.

Forcing her hands into the ground underneath him, she uplifted the stone and soil, chucking him out from the crater and leaving his broken body crumpled for all to see.

Niragi's soldiers stood trembling, their faces only enraging Tamega further. In her broken psyche, all she could think to do was to punish them by killing their leader. Raising him one last time for them all to see, Tamega's mouth began to glow as she readied to erase him.

All around her, she could hear frightened muttering and whispering. She paused, and turned to see the enslaved Gyuumans, now terrified of her. Dropping Niragi, her green eyes blinked, and she clutched her face in pain. The Gyuumans, able to sense her termoil, rushed to meet her, encircling her and holding her tight. The golden flames calmed, a gentle heat emanating as they embraced her.

Tamegi and Kreema split, and Kreema wailed, the overpowering emotion of the transformation having left a deep scar. Tamegi dried her own tears, and held Kreema tight, as if letting her go for even a moment would kill her.

Gasping for air on the ground, Niragi hissed through his broken teeth. "Y-You s-shits..!"

Tamegi barked over him. "SHUT UP! Tell your soldiers to pick your sorry ass up and get the HELL OFF OUR PLANET! If you EVER come back again-"

She was silenced by another wail from Kreema, quickly refocusing her attention on her sister.

The Gyuumans began to rise, and Tamegi did the same, holding Kreema as she helped her to her feet.

A blinding fury tore it's way through Niragi's mind. He couldn't understand. These half-breeds whelps couldn't be-

No, they'll die like all the rest.

Energy welled in his mouth, as he prepared to fire on the crowd the only way he still could. A final maniacal cackle erupted as the light shone from his toxic maw.

In the blink of an eye, a hand clamped tight around his mouth, the build-up of energy too great to stop now. His last sight was of his daughters.. No, his daughter, Tamega, flashing in a golden eruption as she transformed again, her hand shut tight around his mouth.

The Gyuumans fled as quickly as they could, as the energy continued swelling inside of Niragi.

In a final, brilliant burst of energy, an explosive eruption sundered the ground around them, as Niragi was consumed by his own power.


	21. Healing

Age 748

Another scream pierced the otherwise calm night air. A howling wail that disturbed all life for miles, vanishing as quickly as it came. 

The Gyuuman monks rushed into the bed-chamber, where Kreema sat upright, gasping for air again and again as if she had been pulled from the ocean. They ran to her, surrounding her in their various attempts to comfort her. Her friend Chiu brought a bowl of purified water to her lips, and she drank, bringing momentary quiet. Stado sat behind her, trying to ease the tension in her shoulders, as Aisu pressed two fingers to Kreema's right temple, as positive energy began to fill her body and mind.

For a moment, she began to calm. Then, faced with the guilt of the burden she placed on her friends, the peace turned to sadness, as tears rolled down her cheeks. Confused, all her friends could do was hold her tight, burying her in the safety of their arms.

From the other side of the door, Tamegi stood, listening through the wooden barrier standing as the only thing between her and her sister. She wanted to go in, but it would only make things worse.

It was like this every night, since their mother.. Died wouldn't even be the proper word. She couldn't even say that she was 'gone', because in every sense of the word, she wasn't.

After nearly a month of this nightly occurence, Tamegi had learned not to try and 'help'. She would only listen, solely for her own peace of mind. Yet, it gave her none. Tamegi and Kreema hadn't formed Tamega once since the battle with their father. Kreema was getting steadily worse, and she'd listened in on the conversations between the other Gyuumans numerous times. 

By this point, the merging was nearly solidified, and in Kreema's current mental state, it could cause irreparable damage to her mind if the merging were to complete itself as she was now. 

Of course, Tamegi hadn't simply been sitting idly by.

She wasn't much of a reader, but she'd _voluntold_ one of the librarians of the Great Monastery into assisting her with "research". In effect, forcing the poor Gyuuman to help find an answer, anything that could help Tamegi save her sister's fractured mind. 

Anything, or anyone. In her studying, Tamegi had formulated a plan.

The moment Kreema was coaxed back to resting by her friends, Tamegi leaped from the window of her room. Running as fast as her legs would take her, she came to the edge of the village, where there stood a canyon with walls that reached pierced the clouds, disappearing far beyond what was visible. 

At the end of the canyon was Tamegi's goal. Whatever was at the end of that canyon would save her.

She took no time to pack any supplies. In her mind, with how far the canyon stretched she'd only last a few days unprepared, and Kreema only had days left. This was an all-or-nothing gamble.

As she broke into a light jog, Kreema realized it had been some time since she used her own muscles. Already she was sweating, but she shrugged it off. Within a few minutes, her breath was growing heavy. Then the minutes turned to hours.

Then the hours kept counting, even when Tamegi had long since lost track.

For all she knew, she'd been jogging for days. The sun had risen in the sky, casting a massive shadow over the canyon. As it reached the height of the sky, the heat felt like someone was trying to boil her alive. Her muscles were screaming, and her lungs were sore.

She wanted to stop, if only for a second, but her body told her that if she stopped, she would not be able to start again.

Through the fog of her exhaustion, Tamegi hadn't even noticed the *literal* fog that had begun to surround her. As she continued, it grew thicker, until it noticeably obscured her vision. 

Frustrated, Tamegi tried to swipe away the fog, at least enough to see for a few feet, but it was a lost cause. She could no longer see where she was going.

And all the same, she could no longer see her way back. Whichever way she went, she'd be going forward.

Inhaling a gulp of air, she continued sprinting blindly through the fog, but it only seemed to grow thicker.

First, the mist thickened so far that she couldn't even see her own hand in front of her. 

Then, the mist became thicker, and it was as if it had become black, or perhaps the entire world had gone dark and she had gone blind.

The last thing Tamegi felt was the fog surrounding her, as if it were gripping the life in her and wringing it like a sponge. Then, total darkness of sight and mind.

The moment she lost consciousness, a figure approached, standing over her quiet, still body.

"I suppose it was only a matter of time.."

Picking up Tamegi, the fog parted around them, allowing the figure to fly out of the canyon and back toward the village. 

Entering through the window of Tamegi's bed-chamber, she gracefully landed and set the Half-Saiyan in her warm bed, tugging the blanket over her and smiling.

Moving toward the door between Tamegi and Kreema's chambers, she knocked on the wooden door gently. A gasp preceeded a meek, confused voice, as Kreema squeaked out, 'E-Enter.."

The door parted, and Kreema backed against the frame of her bed in fear. Before her stood a Gyuuman, dressed in a long white robe and a blue cloak flowing down their back. On the front of their robe, there was a large red symbol, a word in the Gyuuman language.

Kreema sputtered. "Y-You.. You are the Guardian, yes..?"

The figure smiled, walking slowly toward the bed and taking a seat next to Kreema. "I am glad my people have not forgotten me. Though, as I worry they may have forgotten my name, I'll spare myself the hurt and introduce myself. I am Gyun, this world's Guardian, as you have already guessed."

Tensing with fully apparent anxiety, Kreema gulped. "A-And.. Why are you here..?"

Gyun turned toward the doorway. "Because your sister brought me here. Though, she probably should have done her research. There is no way to reach my lookout without the sacred relic to clear the mists, when I found your sister she had already succumbed to it's effects." 

Kreema was quickly about to leap from her bed, before Gyun raised a calming hand. "She is alright. The mists cause any who are exposed for too long to enter a deep slumber. At worst, she will be a bit dehydrated from drooling for a few hours." Gyun giggled softly at her comment, covering her mouth with a hand.

Her laughter was not undesired, but Kreema could not appreciate the joke, as much as she wanted to. Kreema clutched at her chest, as if there was a pain in her heart, and Gyun stood from her place on the bed. "I watched everything unfold. A month before you returned home, I was forced to sit idly by as the Saiyan and his forces made my people suffer."

Wincing, Kreema lashed out, berating the so-called Guardian with feelings that had once been so alien to her. "Why? Why did you ignore your people when they needed you the most? WHY DID YOU LET MY MOTHER DIE?"

Gyun tensed, the words wounding her like spears. "I could not interfere. If the Saiyans were left to their devices for much longer, I would have had no choice to step in, but once a Guardian has committed to divine intervention, it is nearly impossible for them to retreat again. The people become dependent on the Guardian's help, and once introduced to their guiding hand, they will be irreperably lost once it is taken away."

An epiphany struck Kreema, and she recalled her time on Planet Natto, the helplessness of the people, and their dependency on-

"I did not come seeking forgiveness, in truth I feel I do not deserve it. I came to help you."

Kreema curled up in her blanket, shrinking then and there into nothing more than a frightened child. "Every night, I dream of.. Rage. Emotion like I have never felt. It burns through my muscles and tries to boil me alive. It hurts.. And then I wake, and I remember.. I.."

Gyun raised a hand to silence her, not out of cruelty or disinterest, but to quiet her for only a moment. "This emotion, rage. You speak of the power it holds over you. Is there truly no other emotion inside you that is just as strong? An emotion that you have held since the days when you first formed words?" 

Kreema tried to discern her meaning, but all she could feel in her heart was misery and pain.

"Your mind is clouded by the present, by recent events that pained you. Look through the cloud, look to the past. Find a memory of when you were happy, and amplify it. Let it wash over you."

She tried to do as Gyun instructed. For a moment, there was a glimpse of peace, before everything that she knew now. Before the pain, before she learned of pain and rage. And like that, it was soured, overtaken by the pain again.

Kreema winced, clutching her face. "I c-can't.. It's too much.." 

Striding slowly and elegantly across the floor, Gyun gently pressed two fingers to Kreema's forehead. "What you have been searching for is still inside of you. She never left."

Kreema clenched her eyes tight. "Open your eyes."

She opened them, and she found herself in a void of white, with someone standing a few steps away. She went to stand from the bed, but found herself already on her feet. As she approached the stranger, she turned to face her.

"Kreema.. I'm so sorry." The arms reached out and gently embraced her, causing Kreema to crumble into a wailing mess. Yoguru held her up, hugging her tight and preventing her from falling.

"I'm here. I'll always be here."

The memories washed over her, memories that were not her own. Her mind opened, allowing Yoguru to fill her with overwhelming feelings of calm and joy. The day she was accepted to train as a monk. Her first meeting with Niragi. The birth of her twin daughters. The day they left to find their place in this life. The day they returned, and she realized they had found their destinies in each other, completing themselves as Tamega.

Kreema's eyes opened again, and she was in her room, the tears now gone from her cheeks with Gyun standing over her, smiling. "The merging has remained incomplete thus far, and shall remain so. You are on the path toward healing, and until your own mind is whole, your mother will remain independent inside of you, her consciousness and yours will retain individuality."

Kreema looked down at her hands, and for the first time since she could remember, they felt like her own hands. "But, what if-"

Looking up, Gyun was gone, leaving Kreema to wonder if she had been there at all.

Energy swelled in her body, reinvigorating her. Her body was free of all exhaustion, a month of sleep deprivation fading with a relieved sigh. Walking toward the door, she entered Tamega's half of the bed-chamber, and sat on the edge of her bed, meditating with a warm smile on her face while she waited for her sister to wake from her slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> Chiu (Japanese: Chīzu - Cheese)  
> Aisu (Japanese: Aisukurīmu - Ice Cream)  
> Gyun (Japanese: Gyūnyū - Milk)


	22. The Chase

Age 749

It had been almost one year since Tamegi and Kreema last joined. Their recent struggles made them realize that self-improvement was necessary for them both individually. 

Kreema continued to work through the process of her emotional and mental healing, and Tamegi worked on strengthening her body, exercising and training daily until she would collapse into bed.

Already the thirst for combat began to creep back into Tamegi, and she thought it wise to begin the preparations for the ship to leave. As the ramp of the ship opened, a cloud of dust flooded outward, causing her to cough and sputter. Tamegi almost felt guilty for the ship that had been her home for several years.

The first thing she noticed upon ascending the ramp was a red glow that shone through the hall, coming from the kitchen. As she followed the source of the ominous light, she spotted the mysterious shard atop one of the cabinets, flashing red and humming softly. 

Immediately, Tamegi was stricken with dread. There was no telling how long it had been humming like this, but it could only mean one thing.   
Something was coming to seek the shard, as Disco had, and they likely were not far.

Tamegi prepped the ship's engines, and sprinted down the ramp toward the village while it prepared for take-off. The sound of the ship activating could be heard far in the distance, and Kreema's ears perked at the audible whirring.  
Not a moment later, Tamegi appeared, panting as she stumbled over her words. "S-Shard.. G-Go, have to go..!" Kreema was confused, dropping to her feet from her floating meditative position and approaching Tamegi, who swiftly snatched her hand.

Racing off toward the ship with Kreema in tow, Tamegi charged back to the ship, where the glow was steadily increasing. Kreema spotted it as they drew near, her worry now shared between her sister.  
There was no time for goodbyes, which caused a sadness to wash over Kreema. She closed her eyes, and felt it pass, only determination in her mind now.

As the ship ascended and Planet Gyuu faded slowly behind them, the glow of the shard grew brighter, as the sisters sped toward the would-be invader.

"We have to lure them away. They know we're close, all we need to do now is divert their path. If they only want the shard, there's no reason for them to find Planet Gyuu." Tamegi diverted the ship, and Kreema nodded in agreement.  
"Are we in agreement that we will not form Tamega unless absolutely necessary?" Kreema looked her sister in the eyes, and Tamegi sighed, before nodding.

Travelling for hours at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, the blinking and humming glow of the shard never ceased, only growing steadily brighter and faster. Their foe was gaining on them.

A large planetary body appeared on the ship's scouter-interface, the ship nearly upon it. "This seems like as good of a place of any.." Tamegi re-routed the ship's navigation, and it dragged to a halt, before descending through the atmosphere of the planet.

Exiting the ship, Tamegi and Kreema stood near their ship and stared out into the open sky, waiting for any sign of whatever was chasing them.

As several minutes passed, Tamegi snerked. "Maybe they got tired of chasing us and went home?" 

Kreema stared intently as she felt a source of energy approaching. A spaceship shaped like a sphere descended before them, kicking up dust and dirt as it touched down. The bottom of the sphere opened and descended, as a figure stepped out to greet the two. 

Kreema whispered to Tamega, "Did you ever see any ships like that on Planet Vegeta..?" 

She shook her head no, "It's new to me."

The stranger, his face and head obscured by a long cloak, raised a hand in a gesture of peace. "Greetings. My name is Konaki, and I need to ask that you hand over the shard you hold."

Tamegi and Kreema frowned. "Let's say we DID have one. It was a gift, and we ain't selling." Kreema nodded in agreement. "It has sentimental value, we cannot part with it. Our apologies, Konaki, was it?"

Konaki frowned visibly beneath his cloak. Raising his arms, the garments over his hands and wrists were shredded by what looked to be stone protruding from his skin underneath his clothing, cracking and bending as they grew and shaped in random directions. "I really must insist. My need for the shard goes far beyond 'sentimental value'."

Tamegi slammed her fists together. "Tough. You're not getting our shard."

Konaki tensed his arms, and the stone growths protruded from every part of his body. "Then I apologize for what I must do. I will try not to kill you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> Konaki (Dual meaning, Japanese: Kokonattsu + Kani - Coconut Crab, Konaki-jiji - A type of Yokai)


	23. A Return to Abnormal

Tamegi and Kreema clasped each other's hands tight, closing their eyes as light surrounded them.

For the first time in a year, Tamega reformed as the dust began to settle. Clenching her hands, she felt a noticeable difference. Where there was once an anxious tension in her nerves, now there was a smooth flow of energy, like a cascading waterfall that had now pooled into a calm river.

Konaki tensed, and the stones littering his form erupted outwards, a thousand rocky bullets firing off at Tamega, the hood of his cloak flying back from the updraft of wind to reveal a head of spikey orange hair and pointed ears.

Inhaling through her nostrils, she side-stepped and turned slowly, avoiding as many as she could and catching several before redirecting them back. A soft orange hue covered her body, and the few stone shrapnel that met her skin were reduced to sparks around her.

With a growl, Konaki summoned a barrier of stone around him, shielding him from his own stone-bullets. Tearing the barrier apart as the pelleting ceased, he gripped the twin boulder chunks in each hand, squeezing them tight to reform them into large spears. Slamming them into the ground and launching into the air, he tried to bring them down on Tamega's head, with enough force that would easily split her in two.

Tamega spun gracefully, faster than his eyes could catch as she redirected the stone spears away with one hand, spinning to bring her opposite hand around and slamming him backwards with a hard palm.  
Konaki was sent hurtling, grimacing as he stood on one knee to catch his breath.

"I wasn't sure I could pull this off, but now.." Inhaling, Tamega brought both knuckles together slowly, the energy inside of her swelling as her skin seemed to spark and catch fire, crackling and snapping as it danced along her body. Her hair began to lengthen, and her pink eyes flashed more vibrantly.

Inhaling, Tamega held her breath for a moment, and exhaled, the energy swirling around her feet like a tamed vortex of fire. "A year ago, I discovered a power I never knew I had. I was afraid of it, I nearly hurt people when I lost control. That power.. It was fueled by powerful emotion, like rage, and pain, and loss." 

Running her hand across the length of her arm, the energy danced and sparked as skin met skin. "I've found a way to move beyond it. This form is fueled by emotions just as powerful. It may seem a bit silly, but it requires feelings of immense joy and calm, fueled by happy memories." Reaching into her robes, she sifted around for something, smiling as she found what she had been searching for. Pulling out a long black piece of familiar fabric, she pulled it over her eyes, lifting her lengthened brunette hair to tie it underneath, effectively blinding herself. 

With a scowl, Konaki spat. "You're really so confident that you think you can fight me while blinded? Fine then!"

Tamega could hear the cracking and shifting of bones and flesh, unable to see what was happening as she felt the vibrations humming closer and closer. She could feel the wind beginning to part, as the fist approached her face.

  
In a calculated and swift series of motions, Tamega fired a punch to where she could feel Konaki's elbow was, chopped at his shoulder, struck him twice in the side, and delivered three furious punches to his back, all in the span of six seconds.

She could feel him drop, and as she stepped back, her form faded. She took a gasp as she began to feel lightheaded, realizing the strain the form had put on her body. "Ugh.."

Clutching her head and tugging off her blindfold, Tamega stared down with blurry vision to see Konaki covered in stone, and what looked almost like the broken shells of an insect.

Sighing, Tamega offered a hand to Konaki, who was crumpled on the ground clutching his sides. "If perhaps you are willing to discuss terms, maybe we can come to an agreement that is agreeable for both of us."  
Confused, and out of options, Konaki took the offered hand, rising to his feet slowly.

Tamega led Konaki to her ship, watching cautiously as he ascended the ramp. "As long as you don't try anything, I'll get you something for the pain." Konaki smirked at the comment as he took a seat at the table of the kitchen's ship, "And if I did try something? I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem dropping me again."

Sighing, Tamega sifted through the various cupboards, noting that her shard was no longer glowing. Picking it up and stuffing it into her robe, she returned to Konaki with two tiny round gel-like discs. "Swallow this, it's made from plants on our homeworld, it'll numb the pain."

Konaki took it in one hand, staring at her with a raised eyebrow. His expression's meaning plain to her, she groaned and took one, swallowing it. "Like you said, I wouldn't have a problem 'dropping you', so why would I bother poisoning you? Now take your medicine."

Grinning, he took the disc in his mouth and swallowed. Tamega, satisfied with his minimal obedience, leaned against the wall and stared down at him. "Now, let's discuss terms. Firstly, I want to know why you want my shard so badly."

Konaki rested his head in one hand, exhaling through his nostrils. Taking out two similarly-shaped slivers from his cloak, he placed them on the table. "The shards are said to grant ultimate power to whoever brings together all of the pieces. I need that power to save my people."

Tamega raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was supposed to grant any wish? At least, that's what was explained to me when I was given my piece." Konaki stared, unsure of how to respond to her question properly, before continuing. "Regardless of the specifics.. I need to find all of the shards. My people are on the verge of extinction." 

Tamega crossed her arms, listening intently. Konaki elaborated with a visibly stressed expression. "I am from the Planet Konatsia. Fourty years ago, a civil war began that has ravaged the planet. In an attempt to stop the fighting, a group of seven Magi sought to create a weapon that would end the fighting." 

"Did it work?" Tamega inquired, eliciting a shake of the head from Konaki. "Though, I suppose from a certain point of view, it succeeded all expectations. The weapon was a Golem, a fusion of flesh and metal, infused with magical energy." He lifted one of the two slivers. "The same energy that courses through the shards."

His hands trembling, Konaki tried to conclude his explanation. "The moment it was brought to it's own unique and twisted mockery of life, it slaughtered three of the seven Magi, and began systematically exterminating all life on Konatsia."

Tamega nodded. "Then I see the simplest solution before us. I'll help you fight this 'Golem', and you'll let me keep my shard without needing to break your bones. Deal?" 

Konaki sighed. "It isn't that simple. This monster isn't something you can fight. The power it holds is virtually infinite, and it can't be damaged with energy attacks, or even sensed by it's energy."

Just as she was about to counter his obviously exaggerated claims, a familiar red glow filled the interior of the ship. 

All three of their shards were glowing. "That's.. Not normal right?" Tamegi tried to reach out and feel whatever was seemingly approaching. 

Konaki clutched the shards tight to his chest. "The shards act as if they are alive, and want to be brought together. When they are near each other, they stop glowing.. Which means someone else is coming."

The two rushed outside, spotting a swirling ball of purple energy rocketing toward them. Bracing for a fight, with Konaki clutching his side anxiously, the two prepared for the worst.

The storm of purple energy landed in front of them, and a familiar cackle resounded for miles. Tamega gritted her teeth, dread washing over her.

Disco crackled his knuckles, baring his demonic fangs as he slowly stepped forward with his arms outstretched, as if expecting a hug. 

"Hahahaa.. Did ya miss me kid..?"


	24. Team-building

With a scowl that could pierce the sound barrier, Tamega stepped forward in front of Konaki. "We've got some experience with this maniac. I'll handle this." 

  
Konaki looked to Tamega, clearly not understanding her meaning. "Experience? In what rega-"

  
His inquiry was interrupted by a pulse of wind, as Tamega sped toward Disco. Dashing at him with her arms above her chest, she closed the gap between them and clasped her crossed hands over his face, locking him in a hold that both protected her face and body while immobilizing him.

  
Disco merely cackled, as Tamega jumped off her feet and slammed both knees into his stomach. He didn't react for a moment, before swiftly grabbing both of her legs and thrashing her against the ground, Tamega expelling a sharp gasp as her head cracked against the barren earth. 

  
Quickly scrambling to her feet, she tried to focus her mind, to calm herself enough to utilize her Sparking form. With little time to waste, she realized her mind was too unfocused. "Just this once..?"

  
Disco cackled again, readying a beam of ghastly purple energy in both palms. "Should've given me those shards when you had the chance, kids!"

  
Raising her arms, Tamega screamed out, as all at once the energy inside of her boiled over, erupting in a fury of golden fire and lightning. Disco could feel the overwhelming power, watching with subtle concern as the ground around Tamega cracked and tore apart.

  
Her hair now held up by the force of her aura, spiked and fluttering in the force of her own energy, Tamega inhaled, her eyes focused on Disco. "This is a part of me I tried to bury. The side of me I try again and again to refuse. So now, just this once because YOU made me, I'm going to _break_ you with it."

  
With a maniacal laugh, he tried to cut her monologue short, firing both hands forward at Tamega as the beams merged and surrounded her.

  
In a single step of blinding speed, Tamega dashed through the beam, which was cleaved in half by the force of her stride, both beams splitting and avoiding Konaki and the ship. Staring up at Disco, who took a moment to realize what had happened as he slowly stared down at her, Tamega rose into the air to meet him at his height, and swiped a hand at his neck, catching his throat and slamming him into the ground, gritting her teeth with rage as she began to bury him.

  
Still holding him in her neck, she lifted and crashed him again and again into the rocky soil, until a sizable Namekian-shaped hole was now perfect enough to bury him alive in. His body now thoroughly beaten to the point of immobility, Tamega began casually kicking dirt back into the hole, slowly covering him until he disappeared from view. 

  
Konaki, somewhat taken aback as he viewed this entire scene from a relatively safe distance, realized the fight seemed to be over and quickly rushed to meet her. "W-Wait, perhaps this is an opportunity! It seems he's after the shards just as much as I am, and if we work out some sort of deal he may be able to help us."

  
Tamega scowled at Konaki. "I am not bringing this freak with us."

  
Groaning from his shallow grave, the dirt around Disco rustled softly as he pathetically tried to free himself. 

  
With a sigh, Konaki pinched his brow in an attempt to remain calm. "Okay, while the power you have put on display here is quite obviously remarkable, it will not be enough. This.. 'Freak' is far stronger than I am, and we need every advantage possible to defeat the Golem."

  
Her entire body tensed, as she glared with frustration at the dirt. Leaning down, she punched through the loose earth and hoisted Disco by his antennae, tossing him at Konaki who grunted in surprise.

  
Disco laughed weakly, looking up with one wincing eye at Konaki. "Th-thanks for the save, new best friend.." Konaki rolled his eyes, before dropping Disco, who landed with a hard thud and a weak grunt.

  
Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the two, as Tamega clenched her fists and powered down. Konaki looked to his ship, thinking out loud for the two to listen. "The journey to Planet Konats will take about a year at the speed of your ship. Mine is faster, but there is only enough room for one passenger and I'll need to slow it enough that you can still follow." 

  
Tamega stared at Konaki wide-eyed, ready to scream. " _I_. Am _NOT_. Spending a _YEAR_ with this _IDIOT_ in the vacuum of _SPACE_."

  
Konaki gritted his teeth, and exhaled. "There is no other option. I do not know of your past with him, but it does not matter. We need his help, and your ship is his only means of accompanying us."

  
With a scream, Tamega clutched her hair and kicked a nearby boulder hard enough to shatter it, before sulking off to her ship. Konaki looked down at Disco who was still groaning in his own purple blood. "Just.. Follow her when you can move. We'll need at least a day to prepare."

  
Disco gurgled with a smile in understanding, as Konaki started toward his ship, more concerned now than when he arrived on this nowhere planet.


	25. Bonding

A day had passed since Tamega had thoroughly and brutally taught Disco not to cross her. While rummaging through the refrigerator in the ship's kitchen for a snack, she heard a loud 'thud' from the crew quarters.

  
Rushing to find the source of the sound, her fists raised and ready for a fight, she spotted Disco, his head resting on his arms as he kicked back in the top bunk, smirking at Tamega with one eye open. 

  
"Hey kiddo, nice pad ya got here. I can take top bunk, riiiight?"

  
Tamega locked eyes on him, a grimace forming on her face as she stared, unamused. "That's Kreema's bunk."

  
Disco curled his face in thought. "Huh. Kreema.. Oh yeah! The one with the uhh.." He waved his hair in front of his eyes, mocking Kreema's scruffy hair. "But I thought.. Well, you two.. Three?"

  
Crossing her arms, she exhaled through her nostrils in an attempt to remain calm. "I'm neither Tamegi or Kreema. I'm the sum of all their thoughts, feelings, and experiences given a new form."

  
Hopping down from the bunk, he shrugged. "So does that make youuu... Kreemegi?" 

  
With a roll of her eyes, she turned to exit the crew quarters. "Tamega."

  
Disco followed behind, badgering her with every step. "So how does it work? It's not permanent, obviously." 

  
Groaning, Tamega made her way back toward the kitchen. "My mother was a Gyuuman. Gyuumans can merge bodies and minds, and it takes about a month for the fusion to solidify. And since we're all apparently in a sharing mood, how did you heal so quickly?" 

  
Disco pounded his chest and flexed his arms. "Full-blooded Namekian, kiddo. We regenerate faster than you hair-based aliens, and being from the Demon Clan gives me a boost on top of it." He bore his fangs in a sickly grin that only made Tamega gag.

  
"My turn. The hell is a 'mother'?"

  
Tamega turned and stared at him, going silent. "..If you don't know what a mother is, I'm not explaining it."

  
With a grumble, Disco protested. "C'mooooon, that's the rules! You tell me a secret, and I tell you a secret, so that when we go to kill each other, the one that was the best at asking the right questions has more information on the other!"

  
Sputtering, at a loss for words in response to his rambling, she tried to explain. "You- What?! No. No- I am NOT explaining how children are made to a mad alien manchild." She threw her arms up in defeat, walking to the exit of the ship and heading down the ramp, with Disco cackling behind her.

  
Crossing the short distance of desert between her and Konaki's ship, she pounded on the outside to rouse him. A thud could be heard inside, and a moment later Konaki descended the landing pad. Tamega pointed a thumb behind her towards her ship. "The idiot is up and moving. Let's get this thing moving before I change my mind."

  
Konaki nodded. "I'll start my ship's engines, just follow behind as close as you can. It's a long journey and we don't want to be separated in the literal infinite void of space."

  
Tamega sighed into her hands. "An eternity in a void would be better than a year with that jerk."

  
Heading back toward her ship in defeat, Konaki re-entered his own as the engines fired up. Disco peeked his head out from the ship's ramp to see what was happening. "Oooh? Pineapple-head leaving already?" 

  
Tamega clenched her fists, before taking a second to breathe. "Get in the ship. We're following him back to his home planet, where you and I are going to help him kill some crazy monster."

  
Disco pursed his lips with curiosity. "Oooo. What's in it for me?" 

  
The ship's exit ramp rose and sealed the ship, as Tamega headed toward the main terminal. "The same thing you've been after this entire time. He's got two of those shards you want, and he's willing to give them over as long as we deal with his problem."

  
Flexing and stretching behind Tamega, Disco grunted as he bent over. "So what if I say no and steal your ship?" 

  
Tamega didn't bother turning around. "I'll break you in places that won't grow back if you consider it out loud again."

  
Baring his fangs in a toothy grin, Disco snerked. "This is gonna be a fun road-trip, kiddo.."


	26. Worlds Away

Age 750

  
Another timeless day in the vast empty, with no discernible way to differentiate the passage of time beyond the ship computer's calender. Konaki's ship sped just in front of Tamega's, trailing across the sea of stars and rocky bodies.

Tamega had spent most of the trip meditating, to conserve energy and calories, to pass the boredom of the deafening silence while fused, and to avoid making conversation with Disco. When unfused, Tamegi spent most of her time watching over Kreema like a mother beast, her eyes constantly keeping track of and memorizing where and when Disco went.

Finally, one 'morning' as Tamega was treating herself to a hot brewed drink in the ship's kitchen, Disco took a seat across from her, a glass of water in his hands. He mostly seemed to ignore her, taking occasional sips from his glass.

Tamega, finally bored beyond reason, asked the first question in months. "So.. I've noticed the ship's calorie monitor never goes down, except for when Tamegi, Kreema, or I eat something. So, either you're screwing with the calorie monitor, or you're starving yourself for some reason?"

Disco looked down at his water. "You mean ya haven't figured it out yet? I don't eat food, tri-brain. Or, I don't _need_ to at least. I'm never one to pass up some fresh meat, but all you've got on this ship is plants."

Tamega took all of this information in, somewhat puzzled. "I mean, if you really want meat, we've got dried meats stored for Tamegi's meals."

Disco retched. "Dried?! What kinda nasty-ass alien cuisine are you people makin' on this ship?! If it's not bleeding, it might as well be ROTTEN."

Exhaling and tensing her lower jaw, Tamega turned away, her attempt at kindness obviously having not been reciprocated. 

With a smirk, Disco leaned forward. "Now, my turn. What was your-"

Tamega turned back to him, and leaned in close to cut him off. "No. I'm not playing this game. As far as I can tell, everything in your life seems to obsess over murder. I'm trying to offer a cup of essynths here."

Disco looked down at the table, then back up to her, then down at the table again, visibly confused.

Groaning, Tamega pressed her fingers to her temples in an attempt to stifle the rising stress. "It's just a saying.. It means I don't want to kill you. I've never wanted to kill anyone. I'm willing to forgive and forget the fact that _you_ tried to kill _me_ , and maybe we can become.. Well obviously not friends because I don't particularly like you, but at the very least, we don't have to be enemies."

Finding himself befuddled by such words of seemingly genuine kindness, Disco went quiet. "..So what do you want from me?" 

Sighing, thinking to herself that perhaps she might be making some semblance of progress with him, Tamega leaned back in her seat. "I don't want anything from you. I just want to get to know you better. I may not like you but it would be much easier if I didn't full on hate you."

Disco took a sip of his water, swishing it around in his mouth as he thought to himself, before swallowing it with a loud 'Paaah.' Resting his elbows on the table, he took a breath. "Hm. Where to start.."

His mind wandered, recalling his home as it once was. "I was hatched and raised on the Planet Namek. Bborn a fighter of the Demon Clan, I lived solely to kill the Warrior and Dragon clans. Demon Clan Namekians are born ready to kill, it's like breathing for us."

Taking another swig of his water, he smirked. "But me? I learned to make it more fun. Those other mutant jerks may have been half as strong as me, but they lacked style. I always liked playing with my food, really hitting it home how hopelessly outmatched they were."

Tamega listened, tense but curious. "I rose through the ranks, and became worthy of our highest honors and title, a 'Demon Lord', equal to my fellow Lords and second only to the Demon King himself. I dunno when the war started, but I'm pretty sure we were close to winning.." 

Afraid of the answer, she finally inquired, "So, who won?" 

Groaning, Disco scratched at one of the spikey-nubs on his head. "Well... No one, I think. No one really knows how it started, maybe it was all the negative energy in the air, maybe the Guardian of Namek finally had enough of the fighting, or maybe one of the Dragon Clan cast a spell that ensured mutual destruction for all parties involved. Storms ravaged the planet, crops withered and died, the air burned our lungs when we tried to breathe it and scarred our eyes trying to see through it."

Disco stared blankly at a wall, trying to recover his train of thought. "I remember... Passing out. I don't know how much time passed, but when I woke up, it was over, and as far as I could tell, everyone, everything was just.. Gone. No buildings, our satellites had fallen from the sky, our ships were nowhere to be seen." 

Genuine concern on her face, she stared at him. "That's.. Awful. And you're sure no one was left? That's you're the last Namekian?" 

He snerked, waving her off. "Nah. I saw some farmers and such roamin' around, but come on, even I have standards. There's no sport in it. Whatever the Namekians are now, it's a poor excuse compared to how high we'd risen. But who knows, maybe I'll have some kids. Never too late for me to hatch a few."

Remembering Disco's ignorance of reproduction, Tamega refrained from questioning how Namekians went about having children..

"But, eh. Who cares, right? Live for the moment, live for ya self." Taking one last swig from his glass, he leaned in. "So, now it's your turn for the touchy-feely therapy time."

Tamega sighed. "I suppose that's only fair.. Though I'm not keen on reliving some of the stories I have to tell."

Shrugging, Disco got comfortable in his seat. "Sift through the parts you want to tell, I'm not gonna force you to cry about your 'dark and mysterious past'."

Tamega chuckled softly. "Fair enough.. Well, I guess to start from the beginning, Tamegi and Kreema were born on Planet Gyuu.."


	27. The Gates of Hell

After nearly a full year in the confines of the ship, Tamegi was struggling to keep her cool. She preferred spending most of her time with Kreema as Tamega, solely to let the feelings bothering her melt away. The truth was, despite Disco's apparent change of heart, she still couldn't stand him.

Any time spent unmerged was time Tamegi spent watching over Kreema like a mother hawk, on a constant vigil of keeping track of when and where Disco was. She fully expected that the moment he had the shards within reach, he'd try and kill one of them. If nothing else, Tamegi wasn't going to make it easy.

Kreema, on the other hand, had taken a newfound liking to Disco. His corrupted energy was nauseating to be around, but she took comfort in conversing with him and teaching him more about Gyuuman culture. She had even begun giving him ki-therapy sessions, using her own energy to soothe and partially 'purify' his own. As a mutant Namekian, she'd never be able to fully purify his energy, at least not without killing him. If nothing else, it simply served as a relaxing way to pass the time. 

Disco found this new routine passively confusing. He enjoyed both Kreema and Tamega's company, he even found Tamegi's constant distrustful vigilance entertaining. It left him constantly conflicted, yet every time the feeling bubbled up inside him, he merely shrugged it off. Anything this 'chill' couldn't be a bad thing, right?

One 'morning', Tamega awoke to the feeling of the ship coming slowly to a halt. Hopping down from her bunk and onto the cold floor, she hurried to the main computer, displaying a visual of Konaki's ship in front of them. The two ships were now hovering just in front of a large celestial body, barren and covered in domed-buildings. Konaki's ship shifted rotation and began descending, as Tamega instructed the main computer to do the same.

The two ships came to a halt and landed on the barren moon, as a large field expanded outward from Konaki's craft, enveloping Tamega's ship. Konaki then emerged from his ship into the newly dispensed artificial atmosphere, beckoning for Tamega and Disco to do the same.

The ship's ramp descended, and Tamega casually exited to meet Konaki, surprised as she took a breath of the artificial atmosphere's air. Konaki rolled his shoulders and offered a yawn as he began to explain. "We can't land directly on the planet, the Golem will detect us and eliminate us before we can begin."

Looking to the domes behind him, she posited the first of many questions to come, "So then, how do we-" 

Her question was interrupted as she spotted what looked to be missiles headed in the direction of the domes. "Konaki, they're under attack..!" 

Konaki raised a hand to calm her. "They're not actually weapons. The Golem can't be harmed by weapons, so it only attacks living things, or what appear to house living things, such as dwellings or transports. We had to reconfigure some of our evacuation craft to appear as ballistic missiles, to ensure the civilians, scientists, and soldiers inside weren't targeted."

Tamega watched through Konaki's conversation as the 'missiles' flew into the many domes scattered across the surface of the moon.

Konaki continued, as a large, cylindrical metal tube extended out from one of the domes and pierced the atmospheric bubble, providing a path for them. "We'll prepare our assault from here, and once we land on Konats proper, we'll meet up with Isut. She's head of our evacuation efforts and will be able to help us devise a plan to kill the Golem."

Disco groaned. "We've been stuck in a cramped ship for a year, let's just hurry it up." Tamega nodded, eager to stretch her legs.

Dumbfounded, Konaki stared. "...You two were.. Awake? For the entire trip?"

Tamega glared at Konaki. "You say that as if that's optional."

Immediately stricken with realization, he was filled with guilt. "I.. I am so sorry, I had assumed you had some degree of hibernation pods on your ship. I cannot imagine what it was like to spend an entire year awake, stuck in your ship."

Disco cackled, leaning on Tamega. "Oh yeah, it was AGONY. Tamega almost blew up the ship, like, five times!"

Tamega pushed him away with a single finger to his temple. "You almost had me liking you. Thanks for fixing that." Sighing, she played with her bottom lip in thought. "Still, we should really look into getting one of those hibernation thingies.. Remind me to look into that when we're done here, Konaki."

With an unsettled stare, Konaki itched the back of his neck as he moved to enter the docking tube. "I've had the same dried rations sitting preserved in my stomach for a year, so first thing's first, we need food. You're welcome to join me."

Exiting the tube and into the first of many massive domes, Tamega shielded her eyes from the bright glare of the artificial lighting. All around them were families, soldiers, and scientists, some of them carrying casual conversations, some of them crying, and some of them simply sitting silently. The sounds that filled the dome felt more like a refugee camp than a moonbase. 

Konaki tensed as he walked toward a vendor, pressing a button that spat out three bars wrapped in plastic. "Eat up, this'll give you enough carbs, calories, vitamins and water to last you a full day." He shared one each with Tamega and Disco, the latter of whom stared at the bar in confusion.

Tamega explained, "Eh.. Turns out he only drinks water."

Raising an eyebrow, Konaki sighed. "I'm.. Not sure what to tell you then. What little water we can spare is used to make the ration-bars. Can he at least digest them?"   
Disco picked open the plastic wrapping, sniff it at it and gagging. "I'll manage.. Give it to one of these plaguerats running around." He gestured to the various children dispersed throughout the makeshift refugee camp as he tossed it to Tamega.

Tamega spotted a child sitting all alone, seemingly with no family. Without a word, she offered him Disco's ration-bar, splitting it in half before handing it over. "You look hungry. Find friend and share, okay?" The boy smiled weakly, nodding to her, and Tamega smiled in return.

Returning to the group, Tamega watched Konaki eagerly scarf down the bar of what could be argued for or against being 'food'. Tamega took a bite of her own ration-bar, wincing as she tried to chew the tough, gummy substance. Swallowing the one bite she could manage, she stuffed the remaining bar into her robe.

With Konaki fed and fully awake, the two followed him to a large metal door, marked with words neither could read. Konaki motioned for the two of them to wait, and he pounded on the door. Two guards with rifles opened the door, and Konaki entered, the door slamming shut behind him.

Disco and Tamega crossed their arms and leaned against the wall outside the door, looking to each other as if the other had an answer. Tamega finally broke the silence, "What do you think they're talking about?"   
Disco's pointed ears flicked, and heard screaming and shouting. "Heh, whatever it is, sounds like Konaki's in deep shit."

Tamega turned away and furrowed her brow. Looking out amongst the crowd of Konatsian refugees, she spotted a child in the middle of the dome that appeared to be staring at her. She looked away for a moment, then back at the child again, who was most definitely focused on her and Disco. 

Squinting her eyes to get a better look, the child clenched their fists. A gleam of light reflected off of something metal just above their brow, obscured by their spiky hair. Tamega was about to approach the child to see if something was wrong, only for them to vanish as someone walked past.

The both of them jumped at the sound of something being thrown, tensing and raising their arms to prepare for a fight. A moment later, Konaki was shoved through the door, visibly frustrated.

"I've arranged transport for us. There's.. Really only one problem."

Tamega and Disco lowered their fists, and looked to each other with concern, before staring back at Konaki. "The missile ships are designed for one-way transport, specifically to this moon which slows down the ship when landing. So, our transports aren't designed to go BACK down to the planet."

Disco shrugged. "So?" 

Konaki sighed. "So.. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Isut (Japanese: Itsutsu - five)


	28. Express Elevator into Madness

As Tamega crossed the walkway into the retrofitted ballistic missile, she couldn't help but wonder to herself how she was where she was now. 

On an alien world. About to ride a missile down from a moon. To fight an evil entity that would most likely kill her.

...And then she immediately buried those thoughts before she allowed herself to fully slip into madness at the surrealness of the situation.

Konaki crossed the walkway just above Tamega, while Disco crossed the lower-most walkway into the ship. As soon as they entered, they could hear Konaki's electronically-filtered voice buzzing through the ship's speakers.

"Once we breach the upper atmosphere, we have approximately ten seconds to get out of the ship, find cover, and re-group before the Golem spots and kills us. If we don't get out of the ship in time once we're in atmosphere, it explodes and we die. If we don't get into cover quickly enough, the Golem will detect us and immediately kill us. There's no room for error, no chance of recovery if we mess this up. Are we all clear?" 

Tamega, who had no idea how to operate the ship's intercom, simply smiled awkwardly at nothing as she strapped herself into her compartment's harness. It was then she heard from beneath her, Disco shouting through the hull of the ship, "YOU SUCK AT PLANS!"

Konaki groaned, disabled the intercom, and the boosters immediately ignited. Tamega's face felt like it was being torn from her skull as the gravitational force of leaving the moon made every attempt to stop their suicide mission. From below, she could hear what she assumed was Disco violently vomiting into his seat.

The sound of the missile's boosters were like being thrown into an incinerator, the sound of violent flames tearing their thin vessel through the sky. Finally, all at once, the sound ceased, and Tamega gasped as she had control of her neck again.

Konaki turned on the intercom again, frantically preparing the two for what was to come. "Thirty seconds, hope you two packed light, get ready to jump... If you're both still awake. I really hope you're both still awake."  
Tamega heard the enraged mumbling of Disco, followed by several loud banging sounds as the entire ship began to creak. Konaki once again came onto the intercom's speakers. "Disco, I'm under the assumption you may be getting a little stir crazy, but it is VERY important that you wait-"

There was a loud crash and the sound of air rushing into the compartment below Tamega, as both she and Konaki realized Disco had jumped ship. "Tamega, listen very carefully. We're still too high up to breathe but we have about fifteen seconds before the Golem spots the inside of the ship and recognizes it as a civilian vessel. Get out NOW." 

Konaki took no time in explaining further, tearing a hole out of the ship and leaping out as the sound of his body falling sounded like a bomb dropping out of the sky. Tamega ripped herself out of her harness, and kicked the door to her compartment as hard as she could. All at once, the air rushed in and pulled her out, and she was now skydiving from space.

She thought to herself that perhaps it might've been a good idea to hold her breath, before tensing her entire body and flying as fast as she could. The ground slowly came closer and closer into view, and she spotted what looked to be a building leading into a tunnel. Soaring in the direction of the tunnel, she made her best attempt to steer toward it.

Behind her, there was a sound of lightning. She felt an overwhelming force of energy appear behind her, the rush of wind by it's sudden appearance knocking Tamega off course. Looking back, she saw a dark figure, her burning eyes unable to make any details out beyond two red eyes fixated on her, following her as she fell. 

The figure raised a hand, and there was a sound like lightning crashing against metal as the Golem took aim. Tamega outstretched her arms and summoned a field of energy to slow her fall, as the Golem shot past her out of sight for a moment.

Having bought herself every value second she could afford, she tucked in her arms and legs, careening toward the tunnel as fast as she could, her legs sparking with energy as twin beams erupted from her feet, transforming her into a living rocket.

Tamega braced herself, the beams ceasing as she covered her face to prepare for a painful landing.

With a grunt, she felt herself tearing through rock and rubble as she tore through the tunnel and into complete darkness. 

Stretching her arms out in front of her, and kicking up her feet underneath, she slowly managed to come to a full stop, covered in scrapes and bruises with her robes thoroughly covered in tears and shreds.  
Grunting and wincing in pain, Tamega lifted herself from her Tamega-shaped crater, and tried to reach out with her energy to find where Disco and Konaki had landed. "It isn't safe to stay here long, I need to find them and start heading in their direction.."

Behind her, Tamega heard a rustling of debris, her fists rising to prepare for what she assumed would be a fight to the death.

From behind a large piece of debris stepped a Konatsian woman, her hands raised. "Friendly! No shooting, preferrably! You must be Tamega, I've been filled in on the situation." 

Tamega lowered her fists, sighing with relief. She took a good look at the woman, her long violet hair draping straight down over her shoulders, compared to the spikey hair she had seen common among other Konatsians. She wore dark clothing, presumably to obscure her from being spotted by the Golem, though Tamega noted peculiar tattoos dotted all along her arms.

The woman took note of Tamega's staring, chuckling with embarassment. "It's a long story. I'm Isut, I'm in charge of planetside civilian evacuation and protection. Just stick close, I've got Konaki on comms and he's not far."

Tamega gulped and nodded, having not said a word thus far, merely nodding and obeying for now. The two kept low as they moved out from the tunnel, dashing from cover to cover.

There was a sharp, piercing sound, like a whistle being blown too hard, and Isut dashed toward it. Tamega followed, and she spotted Isut wrapping Konaki in a rough hug, cackling softly as she teasingly ground her knuckle on the top of his head. Konaki gritted his teeth to stifle a groan, finally released by Isut. 

Whispering as low as he could, he pointed south-east. "Disco fell in that direction.. We stay low, we don't make a sound.. If one of us gets split up, the rest keep going.."

Tamega nodded, sweating with anxiety as she hurried along behind Isut and Konaki.

As they scuttled from cover to cover, they heard the sound of aggrevated shouting. Konaki pointed for Tamega and Isut to see, and the two gave a thumbs up in understanding.

Nearly to the source of the incessant screaming, Tamega noticed something gleaming in the dirt between Isut and Konaki, trying to reach out and grab her before she tripped on the piece of glass. 

Isut stumbled, and squeaked with fear as she fell on her face. Tamega stared at her with dread, and Konaki spun around, his eyes wide with fear as he waved at Tamega to move away from her, who merely stood staring at Isut in shock.

Isut paused for a moment to collect herself, whispering as she clutched her face covered in dirt. "I-I'm fi-"

There was a gust of wind, and Isut was gone, as rubble and earth were torn up in the path of the monster as it grabbed her. 

All hope of stealth was lost, and Konaki shouted "MOVE!" as he broke into a full sprint.

Tamega nearly broke into tears as she ran after him. "W-What about Isut?!" Konaki barked, "She can handle herself, and if not then she's dead already! We get to Disco and we'll regroup with her when we can!"

As they sprinted as fast as their fear would push them, Tamega looked up to see two figures clashing in the air, beams of light eviscerating outward in every direction. Tamega stopped mid-dash to avoid a laser beam that tore across the ground in front of her, before continuing her terrified deathrun.

Konaki followed the source of the angry yelling, and came upon Disco, impaled on a steel girder. As soon as he spotted Konaki, he cackled. "Help me o-off this thing so I can KILL you. Hahhn.. G-Gonna... Pop your eyeballs.. One by one.."

Konaki stared in shock, and Tamega began pulling Disco off the girder. Konaki tried to stop her, worried that he would bleed out, but she pushed him away. "He can regenerate quicker than either of us, he'll be fine!"

The moment Disco fell off the rusted metal, he began poking at the new hole in his chest. "Hhhooooo... That's gonna leave a mark.. Probably.. Maybe not..?" Tamega carried him as he stumbled forward, and Konaki scouted ahead, trying to find a safe place to hide.

In the air, one of the figures slammed the other far off into the horizon, while the other sped toward them.

Tamega tensed, before she saw the familiar purple hair. "Isut! I-I thought you.."

The woman raised her hand, shackles on her wrist clinking as energy condensed in her palm, her eyes flashing red.

Konaki screamed and charged at her, chitinous growths shredding his shirt as he tore pieces of them off and slammed them against her with a howl of rage. The woman's attention diverted, Konaki shouted at Tamega. "GET DISCO OUT OF HERE!"

A moment later, another figure tore through the sky and tackled the other woman, both Isut and Konaki now doing their best to pin her down. The last thing Tamega saw, looking back as she hobbled away with Disco's arm over her shoulders, was a beam firing from the woman's eyes, as two focused lasers ripped through Konaki's chest like a knife through butter.

Running solely on instinct now, she moved as quick as she could carry Disco, the world blacking out around her.


	29. A Shred of Hope

Tamega sat curled up in the dirt underneath the ruins of a fallen building, her elbows resting on her knees with her head in her hands. The chaos of it all hadn't really sunken in yet, for now all she could do was sit, trying to catch her breath.

Disco sat not far from her, slumped against a wall with a gradually slowing trickle of blood down his chest, as the gaping wound was now nearly sealed. He clutched his head, groaning as if he were intoxicated. "That.. Could'a gone better.. Guess we're on our own now?"

Tamega's heavy breathing stopped, and she choked on a gulp of air as she slowly turned to stare at Disco. "I'm going to _kill_ you."

Disco growled. "Ugh, what did I do now? Did I forget to say 'Thanks for pulling me off that hunk of metal, T!' Like it was really that hard.."

Tamega bared her teeth, her hair flittering as her aura flared. "The moment that hole in your chest is filled, _I'm going to put another one in your heart._ "

Disco looked worried now, watching as Tamega's eyes flashed a piercing white, her hair turning prickled and sharp in response to her fear-stoked rage.

"Whoa, take it easy kiddo.." He slowly rose along the wall, still clutching his chest. "For real, what did I do this time..?" 

Clenching her fists, Tamega wept. "Konaki is DEAD.. And so are we, because of YOU."

Disco rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. "...Oh yeah. I guess he is.. Shame. Still, we got this don't we? What's there to get worked up about?"

There was a rustling from behind the wall, and both Disco and Tamega jumped as a figure rounded the corner. Tamega charged a beam with both hands, and rose them in front of her, tears of terror rolling down her cheeks.

Limping slightly, the figure made his way into view with both hands raised. "R-Relax, it's just me.." Tamega collapsed with relief, wiping the tears from her cheeks, and Disco breathed a sigh of relief.

Konaki grinned. "Didn't know you got attached that easily, were you really that worried about me?"

Tamega sniffled. "You stupid jerk, you're supposed to be our tour guide.. If you were dead, I assumed we weren't far behind."

With an eyebrow raised, he sat next to Tamega, a hand over her back in an attempt to ease her stress. "Figures, all that power, and underneath it all you're just an angsty kid." He snickered teasingly as he patted her on the shoulder.

Tamega snorted angrily from both nostrils, and pushed Konaki away, hard enough that he fell on his back with another chuckle. It was then that Tamega noticed the tear through his clothing, a clean slice from his left side to his right shoulder. Yet, there was no visible blood and seemingly no wound.

"..Ah yeah. I suppose I should explain, though.. I really don't know how to." Konaki sighed and took a seat in the dirt. "After the Golem first activated and slaughtered three of the Magi that created it, the remaining four tried everything to stop it. I was one of many solutions." He grimaced and winced as he tensed his right shoulder, chitinous growths sprouting all along his arm as he looked them over. "They gave me a curse that turned me into a living weapon, and sent me to fight the Golem, but I never even threw a single punch. The moment it saw me, the last thing I saw was a beam aimed between my eyes."

The growths crumbled to dust and fell away, and he pressed two fingers between his brow. "The next thing I knew.. I was awake. I don't know how or why, maybe the Gods are real and they need me to keep fighting. I've died a dozen times, but for some reason I keep coming back." 

Disco listened intently, finding Konaki's tale curiously similar to his own. Tamega shuttered, sitting in a position hugging herself. "And what about Isut? The Golem.. It looked like her."

Konaki sighed as her scratched at his hair. "The Golem was originally a Konatsian. Isut's older sister." Tamega stared in shock at Konaki, who groaned with frustration. "The war had gone on for too long, and the Magi thought by merging their own power, and the power of one of the shards with advanced cyborg components grafted to a living subject, that they could create a weapon to completely decimate the enemy. Something went wrong, and the moment she was reactivated, she began exterminating her own people."

Tamega stood up from the ground, crossing her arms and turning away from Konaki. "Is she still alive? The last I saw, you and her were fighting the Golem.."

Konaki nodded. "After her sister became a monster, she volunteered to undergo the same procedure that created the Golem. It seemingly worked, but beyond seemingly infinite durability, she's not as powerful. She can't be killed by the Golem, but she can't do much more than distract it while citizens are gradually evacuated to the moon."

Tensing and trembling, Tamega collapsed to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks as she punched at the ground, unable to contain her emotions any further as they washed over her. Konaki moved to comfort her, but held back, letting her work through whatever she was feeling.

Tamega winced as she blinked away the tears. "When I started training, all I wanted was to fight for fun.. I'm tired of fighting for my life, I never wanted this.. I'm not a killer... I'm not-"  
Konaki spoke firmly, silencing her. "That's enough. When I witnessed your power firsthand, I thought you were a warrior. I am sorry that I misjudged you, but that is irrelevant now. The people of Konats need your help. *I* need your help."

Tamega turned back to Konaki and whimpered. "I'm afraid.. I act like I'm strong, but the truth is, I'm always just so afraid.."

Konaki pulled her into a hug. "I've been afraid my entire life, Tamega. The truth is, even though it feels awful, it can be a good thing. Fear is like.. An evolutionary trait in all living things. It can make you faster, stronger, it makes the world blur with adrenaline as you fight to survive." Tamega remained still, her arms at her side as she trembled uncontrollably.

Konaki pulled away slowly, and rested an arm on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but don't let your fear control you. Embrace it, and overcome it, and you'll be able to overcome any obstacle."

Tamega swallowed hard, wiping her nose and eyes with both hands. "T-Thank you Konaki.."

With a nod and a determined grin, he turned to Disco as he spoke to the both of them. "We hunker down for now. Once I was back on my feet, Isut made sure I could get away, so we wait until she finds us. In the meantime, we need to formulate a plan."

He pierced Disco with a death-glare and scowled. "And this time, we STICK to the plan."

Disco winced, "Pain is a good teacher. Lesson received."

Still wiping her nose and eyes, she gave a weak chuckle. "First question.. Is she waterproof..?"

Sighing, Konaki stared at Tamega with a smirk. "Yes. She's waterproof."

Tamega shrugged. "Just covering all our bases this time.."


	30. Skyfall

The air around what was once the Capital City of Planet Konats was stale and dead, the atmosphere soured by the permiating death expanding in every direction for miles. A constant treading of subtle footprints in the barren soil was the only reminder that life ever wandered these streets.

The constant footprints of a vigil of death, the Golem on its neverending directive to kill all life.

The slighest sound rustled behind a crumbled wall, and the Golem snapped it's head in the direction of the rustling, its eyes flashing red and firing a beam that cleaved through the crumbled stone, eviscerating the life form on the other side.

Blood pooled out and around from the other side of the wall, and the Golem turned away to continue its search for remaining signs of life.

In the distance, it spotted a flare rocketing into the sky. A signal of life, perhaps in need of help. The Golem launched into the sky, tearing through the air like a bullet unrestrained by weight, gravity, or the limitations of its own feeble-if-enhanced flesh.

Scanning and finding the source of the flare, the Golem tore through the air and crashed to the ground where it had originated, landing on a bent knee and rising slowly, before scanning for what fired the flare.

The Golem marched slowly around the scattered ruins, until it began to hear the faint patter of heartbeats. Turning its head, energy began to hum around it as a familiar red glow formed in its lifeless eyes.

**"NOW!"**

The sky parted in three directions, as beams of energy tore through the clouds and collided with the Golem. Spears of gold, blue, and purple plasma met the machine, pinning it for only a moment, as Konatsians all around it began unloading every weapon they had at their disposal.

The combined assault uplifted a rising cloud of dust and debris that obscured the Golem's sensors. Frantically it began scanning in every direction, unable to determine the location of the assailants. 

"KYAH!" 

A foot crashed into the Golem's jaw, as Disco kicked it in the mouth and continued flying out of the dust cloud. Another punch slammed against the Golem's eyes, a fist coated in rocky growths trying to damage its optical sensors. 

The Golem's ears twitched, and it spun thirty degrees to the left. As Tamega flew through the cloud of ash with spheres of ki in both hands, the Golem outstretched both arms, clotheslining Tamega and sending her to the ground, the force of which dissipated much of the remaining dust.

Tamega's eyes went wide with fear, as she frantically tried to backwards crawl away, the Golem's eyes flashing red to prepare a super-focused laser beam. Tamega lifted her arms to cover her face and whimpered, and just as it fired, Konaki's hands knocked against the Golem's head, the beam firing and just barely missing Tamega.

Snapping out of the panic in her eyes, Tamega scrambled to her feet and rushed to help Konaki, who was now doing his best to hold the Golem in place. Again and again, it fired eye-beams at him in an attempt to incinerate him. Leaping onto the Golem's back, Tamega tried to lift it with a scream, to which she found the monster's humanoid form to be surprisingly immovable. 

Unaffected by the weight of the two organics pinning it down, the Golem slammed both hands into the dirt and pinned Konaki to the ground, firing a beam that pierced his skull. A final sigh escaped his mouth, and he fell, lifeless under the Golem.

Tamega let loose a howl of anguish, her hair igniting a furious yellow as electrical plasma circled her. With all of her strength, she hoisted the Golem up and over her head, suplexing her hard into the barren soil and crumbled concrete.  
Spinning and leaping away, Tamega did her best to get as much distance up into the air away from where the Golem was now picking itself up.

With one hand outstretched behind her, and another aiming at the Golem, Tamega rushed directly toward the monster as a sound like screeching metal tore across the sky. Siphoning energy from her surroundings and focusing it into her hand, she rocketed toward the Golem as her forward palm ignited and burst with energy.

**_"STORMING HALBERD!"_ **

Crashing into the Golem, Tamega grunted as a hand all at once abruptly stopped her descent, the force of her sudden stop causing a sonic boom. The Golem made no reaction as it clenched her head tight, wrapping another hand around her throat before thrashing her to the ground.

Tamega's ears were ringing, and she felt a pain in her skull, like her brain had been rattled from the inside. She tried to clutch her head and steady herself, but it was too late. The world spun, and she fainted, her hair returning to its original brunette color before she even hit the ground.

The Golem raised a hand, preparing to snuff out Tamega's life, before a 'thud' landed against the back of its head.

Turning to face the interruption, Konaki growled, his mortal wound having now healed. "You won't take another life. No matter how many times you kill me, you WON'T take another life!"

Konaki howled, this time in pain, as the chitinous growths of his curse grew rapidly out of control, his skin warping and bones snapping. Konaki began to grow in height, as his skin began to fall away like a layer of paper mache. His eyes became black and soulless, and his mouth tore and opened into an insectoid maw.

With a howl of pain, the transformed Konaki charged at the Golem with both hands in front of him, ready to tackle it to the ground.

The Golem rose slowly in the air, caught Konaki's monstrous form by the head with one hand, and bent it backwards in one swift motion, crumpling him into the dirt as it snapped his head and neck behind him, killing him instantly.

With the interruption dealt with, the Golem once again turned toward Tamega's unconscious body, and raised a hand to fire a beam.

"Yo, did ya really forget about me?! You're breakin' my heart!"

The Golem paused, and began scanning in circles. Disco cackled from above, "Up here, genius!"

The Golem lifted it's head, staring into the sky at a literal mountain that now sat hovering fifty meters above them.

**"LOVE STACK ECLIPSE!"**

Focusing all of his energy into both feet, Disco rose in the air and began to fall, slamming the floating mountain directly into the Golem. Tearing through the solid earth with his powered-up kick, his feet collided with the Golem, crashing into the monster's face, as its head cracked against the ground beneath it, as a mountain of stone and earth entombed the monster.

Disco flew upwards as the avalanche buried his target, and he landed atop the new hill to survey the impressive amount of rubble as if proud of his work. With a sigh, he muttered, "Guess I'd better find those brats before they suffocate.."

The clouds in the sky opened as a figure landed near him, Isut having finally located them. "What the hell happened?!"

Disco jumped instinctively, then smirked. "Well, you're a little late, but I dropped a mountain on the Golem. Now I'm just trying to find Tamega and Konaki under all this rubble."

Isut was at a loss for words, and half-tempted to rip his head off. She began scanning through the debris of the mountain, detecting a heartbeat under several miles of dirt. Isut moved her arms faster than Disco could observe, as dirt was frantically excavated and chucked behind her.

Slamming a hand into the soil and rock, Isut reached in and pulled Tamega out, now covered in earth, who coughed and sputtered for breath. She muttered weakly, "Did we win..?"

Another smirk from Disco, who casually replied, "Yeah, I think so. Thanks to your MVP."

Tamega chuckled. "Wow, so Konaki really killed the Golem..?"

Disco's eyes twitched with offense. "I meant ME."

Their celebration was interrupted by a rumbling, as a hand tore it's way out of the rubble, clawing for support on the loose dirt. The figure pulled itself free, gasping for breath as it glanced frantically in all directions.

Tamega, Disco, and Isut turned and stared wide-eyed with horror, as the Golem stood before them fully functioning.

It stared back, tears rolling down its cheeks. It seemed confused, wrought with pain. Gritting its teeth, the Golem opened its mouth to let loose an ear-piercing shriek, as the three quickly tried to cover their ears. Still shrieking, the Golem abruptly flew off into the air, tearing through the sky and out of view, leaving the three baffled at what they just witnessed.


	31. Pain, and Peace

The sound of muffled voices surrounded Konaki, as he slowly drifted from the darkness of slumber and back to the world of the living. Realizing he was 'back', Konaki quickly sat up in the medical bed, wincing as he felt a soreness in every muscle of his body.

Tamega turned and smiled. "Took you long enough."

Konaki grimaced. "What happened? Did we win?"

Outside the make-shift medical tent, the sounds of the hustle and bustle of what Konaki could only compare to a small town filled the air.

"Well.. No one really knows exactly. Disco sort of.. Dropped a mountain on the Golem. Then it just sorta.. Screamed and flew away. That was about a week ago."

Konaki collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, not at the immense strain of his burning muscles, but from the shock. As he took everything in, he couldn't accept it. It couldn't have been that easy.

Then, he heard a child giggling outside the tent, playing with a pile of stones. Instinctively he wanted to run to protect them, to shield all of them before the Golem heard them and came falling from the sky.

Twenty seconds passed. Then thirty. Then fourty. 

"I can't believe it.. You did it.."

Tamega rubbed the back of her neck. "I took a fist to the skull and passed out. To be honest, Disco did all the hard work, but I'm kinda hesitant to give him the satisfaction of admitting it to his face because it's kind of going to his head.."

Not a moment later, Disco burst into the tent with a howl of laughter and his hands in the air. "THE HERO HAS ARRIVED! AT LAST, ONLY ONE REMAINS TO BOW DOWN BEFORE MY GLORY, AND I, DISCO THE DIVINE, THE DELIVERER FROM DESTRUCTION, NOW BESEECH YOU!"

Konaki wanted to groan, but he couldn't help but smile. "My deepest gratitude, oh mighty Disco."

Disco cackled again, his hands on his sides with his head thrown back in smug triumph. "Now, I've got some plans for this planet! Since I'm officially the ruler of it having saved it-"

Tamega pushed Disco, ushering him out of the tent. "And I'm sure Konaki will be ready to hear all about it, once he's had some time to cope with the change in leadership. Now get out and let him rest you absolute moron."

Disco snickered. "I'll allow it. This once."

Turning to leave, there was a sudden crash outside, and Disco froze in his tracks.

Tamega and Konaki listened as the people outside descended into chaos, running and trampling each other to flee in every direction. Tamega readied a fighting stance as Disco backed away toward them, and Konaki sat up as best he could in the medical bed, the three of them tense with overpowering dread.

A figure entered the tent, lowering to avoid the draping curtains. Her hair brushed along her shoulders and in front of her face, and she quickly brushed the straight violet hair out of her face with a hand, the tattoos on her arms convulsing with an ethereal glow.

Her eyes were calm, yet she focused on Disco with a dead-eyed stare, piercing his heart with a gaze of ice. Tensing her fingers, she spoke softly to him.  
"Are you the one that freed me?"

Disco trembled, unsure of how to answer. "..I ain't following.."

The Golem stared, frowning subtly. "You struck me on the back of my head."

"W-Well I guess I did.. I-I mean, s-so what if I did?!" Disco sputtered and rambled, half laughing in terror.

"Thank you."

Konaki, Tamega, and Disco stared in disbelief. Tamega was concerned, Konaki had a look of rage growing on his face, and Disco appeared confused beyond recognition.

"I'm leaving now. Whatever I did before, I will not harm your people." She turned to leave, moving to exit the tent.

Konaki threw himself out of the medical bed, crawling to his feet and roaring with fury. "You WHAT?!"

She took pause, waiting for him to finish, if only out of curiosity. "You nearly wiped us out, you've ravaged our planet, made it almost uninhabitable! And you think we're just going to let you leave?!"

The Golem's eyes flashed red, not with the efficiency of a cold, calculating machine, but with unchained fury. "Your people made me into what I am. I am a monster because they made me a monster. They converted me against my will, and when I woke up, all I was able to do was SCREAM. So do you know what they did to stop the screaming?"

The Golem took a single stride forward, dashing to close the gap between her and Konaki in an instant, the force of her energy tearing the tent apart around them. She gently placed a hand over his chest, holding it there.

"They snuffed out my SOUL. They suppressed the side of me that made me ALIVE. And you're _surprised_ that I became a monster?"

Konaki blinked back tears, the pain that the Golem had caused silencing all reason in his mind. All he could think of was revenge.

Tamega reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. The Golem's head whipped and stared at the hand, but Tamega kept it there, trembling. "W-.. What was your name? Do you recall what your name was, before they.. Changed you?"

She froze, lowering her hand from Konaki's chest. "I.. I was.."

**"NANNAT!"**

The four turned to the source of the shout, and saw Isut standing with tears in her eyes. Isut dashed to her sister, embracing her and holding her tight as she wept in Nannat's arms. "Nannat.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.."

Nannat held her sister gently, but made no other emotional response, confusion gripping her mind. Turning to Tamega and Konaki, she sighed softly. "My mother was one of the seven Magi. To end the war, she converted me into a cyborg and instilled me with the arcane energy of the Shards. No matter how much I begged, no matter how much I pleaded, even when I screamed until my lungs bled.. And when they woke me up, I screamed so loud that the world shook. They tried to shut me down, but I was alive and refused to obey them. So they inhibited the part of me that was me. They reduced me to a killing machine.. So I started killing them, and never stopped."

Looking down at Isut, she offered a frown with a subtle hint of pity. "I'm so sorry, little sister.."

Isut stared up at Nannat with worry, and Nannat delivered a swift strike to her neck, catching her as she fainted and went limp. Tamega, Disco, and Konaki tensed in shock, watching as Nannat slowly and gently rested Isut on the ground.

"My sister's place is here, among her people. But I have no people, not after they turned me into a demon made only to kill. You don't have to worry anymore, I'm leaving Planet Konats. Maybe I'll find something out there worth protecting."

Konaki screamed, trying to crawl after her with his broken body. "NO! YOU DON'T GET TO JUST LEAVE! I'LL KILL YOU!"

The Golem turned, staring at Konaki one last time. She offered a sickly, synthetic grin, tilting her head slightly to the side. "And then what, you'll make a new monster to hate? From one freak to another, you should really find a hobby."

Before he could respond, she was gone. In less than the blink of the eye, she vanished, leaving Konats behind forever.

Konaki let loose a wail of agony, tears pouring down his face as he pounded the ground with his fists. Tamega remained silent, unsure of how to comfort him, or how to handle this supposed victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nannat (Japanese - Nanatsu: Seven


	32. The Parting Gift

Age 750

Over the course of a long and busy month, Planet Konats slowly returned to some semblance of normality. New vessels were constructed to transport he refugees hiding on the moon, returning in waves of several thousand at a time. The capital was rebuilt from the ground up, and new cities propped up all around it.

Tamega helped where she could with the construction, and Disco even found himself entertaining children, spinning tales of his heroism in defeating the Golem. Every time he retold the tale, it grew more distorted and bombastic, yet she didn't have the heart to tell the children he was lying. She wasn't sure who it would hurt more, the children or Disco.

Isut mostly kept to herself. She wasn't beyond conversing or helping with the reconstruction effort, but she refused to talk about what happened between her and Nannat. Tamega was concerned, but any attempts at gauging how she felt were met with weak reassurances.

Covered in dust and dirt from a long day of hauling materials, Tamega landed outside a crude wooden hut, the dwelling that Konaki had constructed for himself. She knocked, but there was no answer.

There was a loud crash behind her, and Tamega turned to see Isut, still carrying several steel beams over both shoulders. "Any luck today?"

Tamega frowned with sadness and shook her head, "He's not spoken since the G-... Since Nannat left. At least, not to me, or anyone else we know."

Isut dropped the steel beams and clenched her forehead with irritation. "I don't know how much time he's going to need, but.. You're better off not waiting on him to come around. It's not like we're going anywhere, you can come back any time."

Staring at the doorway of Konaki's hut, she paused. "I've only known him for a short time, but I did want to say goodbye.."

Isut approached Tamega, resting a hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eyes as she spoke. "All his life, Konaki has been a warrior. He spent his childhood learning of the ancient warriors of Planet Konats, he dreamed of living up to the legacy of great heroes like Tapion and Minotia. Without a purpose, he's just a weapon.. Sitting on a rack and waiting for the next war."

Tamega frowned, but nodded. Isut offered a weak attempt at a warm smile. "He's not going anywhere. And if he tries I'll break his legs until they stop growing back."

Before she could offer a nervous chuckle to Isut, she picked up the steel beams and sped off faster than Tamega could visibly see, leaving her staring at the quiet dwelling.  
"One last try. Then I'll go."

Striding toward the hut, Tamega knocked gently on the door and spoke meakly. "Konaki, it's Tamega again.. I just wanted to let you know I'm gonna to be leaving soon. I wish you well, and I hope our paths cross again."

As she turned to leave, the door slowly creaked open. Konaki stood in the doorway, dressed in raggedy loose clothing, his hair messy and unkempt. Without saying a word, he reached into his shirt and held out something in his hand.

"Payment for your service to Planet Konats."

Tamega stared, in his hand were his two shards. "Konaki.. I don't need them. I never asked for them in the first place."

Grumbling, Konaki chucked them into the yard. "They're paperweights now. Take them or don't, I don't care."

The door slowly began to close, and Tamega rushed to put herself in the way, wrapping her arms around him from behind and giving him a tight hug. "Payment accepted."

Konaki froze, turning and staring down at her in subtle surprise. He wanted to be angry, but he found himself smiling, his weak, baggy eyes staring at Tamega with a look of appreciation. He ruffled her hair with one hand, causing her to snicker and break the hug. "I hope you find peace, Konaki."

Nodding with a weak smile, Tamega moved out of the doorway as it slowly closed.

Spotting a red glow in the dirt, she spied the two shards that Konaki had tossed. Picking up one, she stuffed it into her robes. "Another memento, and I suppose it's only fair that Disco and I split the reward fifty-fifty after all."

On the other side of the city, Disco fired a beam into the sky that parted the clouds around it. The children around him beamed with awe, clapping and cheering with their parents as he cackled with pride. "With the monster stunned from my Blinding Light attack, I braced myself, and unleashed a-"

His tale was cut short, as a red glow and a vibrant hum began to shimmer from inside of his shirt. "There's no way that little.. Oh I am going to **kill** those brats."

Leaping into the air and soaring away from the city, the Konatsians frowned and sighed with disappointment as their savior left to attend other matters.

Landing just outside of Konaki's hut where his shards began to make the most sound, he spotted a red glint in the grass, rushing to pick up the shard and turning it over in his hand. Overhead, he spotted Tamega's ship, the engines igniting as it began to break orbit. Lifting a finger, he readied a beam and prepared to fire.

Yet, he simply never fired.

For reasons he couldn't understand, he stared and watched the ship disappear out into space, smirking and lowering his arm. Pulling his own shard out of his shirt and holding it up against the other shard, he smirked. "Well kid, guess we're two-for-two."

On board their ship, Tamega took a seat on the floor in front of the main terminal, sighing gently as she split. Tamegi immediately stood up and began stretching, while Kreema remained sitting, a pleased smile on her face as she meditated quietly.

"I say we find somewhere fancy to relax! Somewhere with food, and a pool!" Tamegi beamed with excitement at the thought of a vacation, leaning against a wall and turning the newly acquired shard in her fingers, before placing it with the shard given to them by Master Rakkas. 

Kreema nodded with a soft sigh of relief. "Some peace and quiet could be good."


	33. Busted

Tamegi awoke in her bunk with a yawn, stumbling out and scratching her face and stomach at the same time. Wobbling toward the kitchen, she poured a cup of warm water before walking to where Kreema stood observing the main computer terminal of the ship.

"So what's the news?" Tamegi sipped her water, and Kreema swiped at the terminal. "There are records of a populated world in this sector, and I have re-routed the ship's autopilot to take us there. Multilingual, peaceful, operating on a money-bartering system." 

"What's a.. Monie-barting system?" Tamegi raised an eyebrow, clearly already confused.

Kreema turned and tried to explain. "They exchange a form of currency to pay for goods and services. The more currency you have, the more things you can buy." 

Sipping her water, Tamegi shrugged. "Sounds weird."

Swiping at the terminal again, Kreema read an alert that appeared. "That's.. Concerning. This sector is marked as under the control of the 'Galactic Patrol', and is giving us some sort of warning."

A blaring filled the ship, causing Tamegi to drop her cup as the two of them covered their ears in pain. 

The blaring rung out several times, then paused as a voice could be heard. " **ATTENTION FRIEZA FORCE VESSEL. YOU HAVE ENTERED A SECTOR PROTECTED BY THE GALACTIC PATROL. UNDER THE GALAXY BORDER-SPANNING ACT, YOU HAVE THIRTY SECONDS TO MAKE EVIDENT YOUR PLANS TO RETREAT, OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE.** "

Running to the rear window, the two spotted several vessels surrounding their ship. "W-what do we do?!"

Kreema tried to find anything on the main terminal that would allow her to open communications, but all of the screens were flooded with warning and alerts that overrode her controls.

" **YOU NOW HAVE TEN SECONDS TO COMPLY. NINE. EIGHT.** "

Without thinking, she shoved Tamegi to the ground and ran to the airlock, sealing it shut behind her before her sister could stop her. Pounding on the door of the airlock, Tamegi shouted, "What are you doing?!"

Kreema took a single second to breathe, unsure of what she was doing would even work. Slamming the button for the emergency ramp-descent, she surrounded herself in a bubble of ki, as the ship opened into the vaccuum of space.

Floating slowly out into the darkness, she waved her arms and flailed as much as she could, trying to get their attention enough for them to stop, even if only momentarily.

The ten seconds were up, but the ships remained stationary around them. Scuttling in a circle before lining up in a row, the front-most ship approached Kreema's bubble, the strange saucer-like vehicle opening as an alien wearing a clear helmet stood up. "You uh.. You alright?" 

Kreema stared wide-eyed, still holding her breath as she nodded frantically with panic and worry.

The alien offered a hand, which Kreema quickly 'swam' toward to accept, grasping it as the alien pulled her into his vessel. She gasped desperately for breath as the ship's canopy closed, and her bubble dissapated. 

Gasping for breath on the floor of the alien's ship, he crossed his arms. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, kid."

**~~\--------------------~~ **

On the deck of their ship, Tamegi and Kreema stood anxiously watching the Galactic Patrolmen scouring every inch of their home. "So, you're sure we aren't gonna find anything in the kitchen either?" 

Tamegi, snorting steam through her nostrils as she ground her teeth, clenched tight onto Kreema's robe. Kreema nodded, reassuring the patrolman yet again. "As we have plainly explained seven times now, we do not know of any Frieza Force, this is the first time we've heard of them. My sister and I have been using it as a living space and for transportation for several years."

Another patrolman walked up behind him and whispered in his ear, and the two nodded. "Alright.. So as far as we can tell, you kids aren't any threat, but we can't have a Frieza Force ship cruising around Galactic Patrol territory. We'll tow you with our tractor beams to the nearest planet with a Galactic Patrol outpost, but you'll need to get this ship retrofitted so that it doesn't appear on our scanners as an FF vessel. We're not gonna fine you or anything for using a ship you probably found on a junkyard world, we just can't have officers getting a flagged ship reading every time you come around."

Tamegi was fuming, but Kreema nodded. "We will comply, and we appreciate your understanding."

The patrolmen vacated the ship several at a time, and Kreema and Tamegi stumbled as the ship was locked into a magnetic field, being towed behind the other vessels.

Tamegi finally exploded. "This is BULLSHIT!"

Kreema reached out to try and calm her sister. "It will all be fine, as they said we just need to find someone to modify the ship, and then we won't have to worry about anyone stopping us mid-flight again."

Tamegi wanted to punch a wall, only refraining out of fear of puncturing the hull. Leaning on her sister, Tamegi whimpered pathetically as Kreema tried to console her. "Just a couple of days with no stress.. Why was that too much to ask for..?"


	34. Liquid Metal Panic

A series of flashing lights shone from outside, as patrol vehicles and city lights flooded the inside of the ship. Tamegi peered out the window, mouth agape as she stared in awe at all of the colors of the towering buildings as they descended to the planet's surface. 

Kreema kept an eye on the main terminal, watching for any incoming communication attempts from the Galactic Patrol as their ships towed them into a large docking bay. Outside the ship, the two could hear all manner of banging and burning sounds as ships of various sizes were being repaired and modified.

Descending the ramp as a squad of Galactic Patrolmen lined up in front of them, Kreema watched intently while Tamegi's eyes wandered in every direction, her curiosity demanding she take in all the sights.

A tall, hefty patrolman with a scruffy mustache stood at the front of the line, staring down at the sisters. "Two rooms have been prepared for you, and the retrofits should take about a day. I am Officer Donas, if you have any questions or concerns, just ask for me at the front desk." Donas pointed behind him toward a doorway exiting the hangar. "Head through there, and take a left. Your rooms are the last two doors on the right of the hall."

Kreema nodded, smiling up at Donas. "Thank you very much, we will stay in our rooms until the modifications are finished."

Tamegi snapped her head in Kreema's direction in surprise. "W-What?! Screw that, I wanna get out and see the city-"

Kreema pressed a finger to Tamegi's lip, hushing her and speaking over her. "As to stay out of trouble as much as possible." Kreema had a sudden realization, and piped up before Donas and the other officers had a chance to leave. "Before you go, how will we need to reimburse you?"

"Consider the retrofit a public service, free of charge so that we're not wasting money every time you come into Galactic Patrol-guarded space. But keep in mind, any damage to the room will result in maintenance fees." Officer Donas glared at Tamegi, who puffed her cheeks in a display of self-defense.

Officer Donas and the other officers began to march away, leaving Tamegi and Kreema to start walking toward the hangar exit.

Finding their rooms relatively quickly, the two entered the last room on the right, with Tamegi dive-bombing onto the bed, only to grunt in surprise at the toughness of the mattress. "Yeesh, what are these things made of?"

Kreema inquisitively knelt down next to the bed, finding a terminal with several buttons. Pressing one of them, the bed suddenly turned to an almost liquid state, swallowing Tamegi up to her neck and causing Kreema to stifle a giggle as her sister flailed in an enraged state.

Quickly tinkering with the buttons of the bed to undo the changes to the structure of the mattress, it spat out Tamegi, causing her to land on her face. 

"If you can manage, you may take the bed. I am going to meditate for a few hours, just please do not leave the room without letting me know first?" Kreema sighed softly, a tired smile on her face.

Tamegi nodded with a groan. Taking a peek at the far side of the room, she found a small kitchen with some cupboards and a sink. Treating herself to the peak of luxury paid for by the Galactic Patrol, she took a cup from the cupboard, filled it with cold water from the sink, and chugged it before power-diving back onto the bed. Kreema flipped a switch on the wall to darken the room, and took a hovering seated stance near a window.

Within a few short minutes, Kreema was in a deep meditative trance, and Tamegi was snoring loudly. 

Several hours passed, the only thing piercing the deafening silence of the sound-proofed room being Tamegi's snoring. At the sound of what seemed almost like water dripping and pooling on the floor, Tamegi twitched and stirred from her sleep, looking around the room to find the source of the obnoxious sound.

"Ugh.. Kreema, did you leave the sink running?" Tamegi heard no response, beyond a strange sound like liquid sloshing. Hopping down from the bed and wandering through the darkness fumbling to find the switch, she turned the light on, illuminating the room.

Turning away from the wall, Tamegi saw a figure standing over Kreema. Its arm was outstretched, as if it were made of a shining metallic liquid, which had formed across Kreema's face to silence her from calling for help, only a panicked eye visible as she tried to scream.

The figure turned and stared at Tamegi slowly, with a cold, calculating, machine-like glare. The figure looked to be one of the Galactic Patrol officers, but their skin was pale white, and their brow had synthetic markings where their eyebrows should have been.

Tamegi froze in fear, unsure of what to do. The figure spoke, with a feminine voice devoid of empathy or emotion. "This world is monitored, Saiyan interference is intolerable."

The figure aimed an arm at Tamegi, their hand melting and reaching out for her. She tried desperately to duck and run, but it caught her, squeezing tight around her torso and restraining her.

Both arms sloshed and pulled Tamegi and Kreema next to each other, holding them in one place as the figure's eyes both began to glow. 

Screaming as she mustered all of her physical strength, Tamegi looked to Kreema and desperately wriggled in an attempt to grasp her hand. Fighting through the metallic tar, Tamegi screamed and clasped Kreema's hand so tight she feared she might have broken it, only just as the figure's eyes ignited with a super-heated beam of plasma that tore apart the building behind them.

In a flash of smoke, Tamega rose out of the rubble as she lifted a chunk of what she assumed was the ceiling that had landed on her head.

The figure appeared behind her, faster than she was able to detect it. With a single kick, Tamega was sent crashing through the building and out into the busy streets, vehicles and pedestrians being knocked aside as Tamega flew like a cannonball, landing hard in the concrete road.

Tamega only just had enough time to lift herself from the rubble, before the figure appeared again on top of her, gripping her hair tight and repeatedly jack-hammering her face into the concrete. 

With a scream of fury, Tamega ignited with golden fire, her hair standing up straight as the electrical plasma around her snapped at her attacker. Pulling the hand off of her head, she clenched it tight and tried to break it, only for it to liquify and rotate around her, before the opposite arm slammed hard into Tamega's nose. 

Letting loose a growl of frustration, Tamega delivered a flurry of punches, only for the attacker to absorb every blow. The figure's body opened and sucked her hands in, restraining her as she screamed in an attempt to free herself.

Readying another eye-beam, the attacker was forced to pause, as a number of lights were shone on the two of them. " **YOU ARE ENGAGING IN ACTIVE COMBAT IN A PEDESTRIAN AREA. SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY.** "

The figure glared at Tamega, as it shifted into an amorpheous blob and slithered into a nearby alley, vanishing from sight faster than anyone could see. Tamega clenched her face in pain, before lifting her hands in surrender as the Galactic Patrol surrounded her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donas (Japanese: Dōnatsu - Donut


	35. Voluntold

"I told you, we were ATTACKED. Something- It just came into our room and tried to kill us!" Kreema remained mostly silent, for once too shaken to try and reign in Tamegi's exasperated fury.

Officer Donas sat across the table from Tamegi and Kreema, scowling at the two as he flipped through images and notes in a folder. "And I've taken your statement into account. Multiple times, thank you. But the fact remains, only two officers present were able to corroborate your story, and no evidence of there being anyone else present has been found. As far as we can see, the only people present after the initial explosion were you two."

Tamegi clenched her face and screamed. "We WEREN'T there, we merged after we were attacked so that we could DEFEND OURSELVES!"

Donas scowled, clasping his hands together. "Which brings us to the next charge against you two: Illegal and undocumented bio-merging processes in a public space. We still haven't figured out how you did it, but fusion like that is HIGHLY forbidden."

Tamegi stood up, the chain around her hands connected to the table straining and nearly tearing out with her as she rose. "BULLSHI-"

The door behind Donas slid open, causing the three of them to stop and look as a Galactic Patrol agent entered. "That's enough, we'll take it from here."

Officer Donas jumped slightly in surprise, but quickly saluted and exited the room.

Three agents in purple skin-tight attire entered, the one that had spoken first entering in-between the other two. The middle agent was tall and muscular, his height dwarfing the two agents flanking him. His skin was pure white, and his eyes were yellow with thin pupils. "I am Agent Omuri, I'm here to discuss the terms of your release."

Tamegi sat back in her chair and crossed her chained arms. "According to Officer Dumbass, we're going to jail for life. Unless you heard differently?"

Agent Omuri took a seat and rested his arms on the table, leaning his chin on his hands as her stared at them intensely. "The two of you are Saiyans, correct? There's no use hiding it or lying, we've already had your DNA recovered from the explosion site and examined by our top scientist."

Tamegi went silent, unsure of what to say. Kreema snapped out of her trance, wounded by Agent Omuri's words. Upon seeing Tamegi's hurt reaction, she quickly furrowed her brow, staring him in the eyes.

"Our father was a Saiyan, but don't ever call us that." Her eyes focused with rage, her blood boiling in an intense display that caused even Agent Omuri to tense and sweat.

"W-We.. Have a task for you two. In return, we are offering amnesty for the destroyed district, the damaged dorms, and we are willing to forget the fact that you were seen with an undocumented form of fusion in a public space, in addition of course to the previously offered retrofit on your ship."

Tamegi exhaled through her nostrils. "That still doesn't make up for the fact that we were attacked in one of your crappy rooms."

Sighing, Agent Omuri closed his eyes. "We are willing to take a full report on the nature of your attacker, once your task is complete. We will do everything in our power to ensure it does not happen again."

Tamegi looked to Kreema for her input, and she finally broke her silence with a sigh, resting her forehead in one hand. "Tell us what you want, I suppose..." 

Agent Omuri rose from the seat, pulled his weapon from its holster, and fired a beam that unclasped Tamegi's chains, freeing her wrists and holstering the weapon again. Tamegi rubbed her wrists and frowned, as Agent Omuri moved toward the door. "Follow me, Doctor Lope is waiting for us in the lab."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omuri (Japanese - Omurice)  
> Lope (English - Cantaloupe)


	36. Unquestionable Ethics

"Ahhh, I think I might be onto something truly spectacular this time.." Doctor Lope's goggles lit up as sparks flew in every direction, his hands toiling away with various tools on some strange contraption. Holding it in front of his face, he took a pair of tweezers in one hand. "Noow.. To veeeery delicately-"

His concentration was interrupted by the sliding doors to the laboratory opening, and Agent Omuri barking behind him. "Doctor Lope! I am here with the S-.. The _sisters_ you were briefed on." Tamegi crossed her arms and frowned up at him, causing him to turn his head and hide the sweat rolling down his face.

Doctor Lope froze in place as if he had been shot, as the tweezers slipped, causing him to poke the delicate piece of equipment. An explosion filled the room, enveloping Doctor Lope as Tamegi and Kreema stared in shock.

The smoke slowly cleared, and Doctor Lope appeared uninjured, dusting himself off as a forcefield dissipated around him. "Is it so much to ask that you do not interrupt while such careful and delicate experiments are in progress? I have been nothing but accomodating to the Galactic Patrol, and in return have asked for nothing but a place to work and some peace and qui-"

Spotting the twins, Doctor Lope's expression changed visibly. It looked as if he had smelled something, and was trying to hide his disgust. "Yes. The _sisters_ , as you so mildly defined them."

"I apologize for the interruption, but if you would so kindly brief Tamegi and Kreema here on the nature of our little problem?" Agent Omuri crossed his arms behind his back, and nodded to the two agents flanking him, motioning for them to leave the room.

Doctor Lope removed his goggles and draped them around his neck as he approached the two. Now that he was closer in the dimly-lit laboratory, Tamegi and Kreema were able to get a better look at the doctor. He was a short, elderly alien with orange skin, and a thick, bushy mustache, his hairline receding just behind his ears. 

"I understand the two of you have found yourself part of our little, eh, community service initiative, hm?" Tamegi scowled down at the elderly doctor, who smirked. "Our little problem is somewhat beyond the capabilities of even our most elite agents, and beyond anything I can conjure in this laboratory."

Sneering, Tamegi finally lost her patience. "Get to the point already."

Nodding, Doctor Lope continued. "Yes yes.. The issue is two nasty Saiyans have been going about making messes."

Tamegi clenched her fists, ready to strike him hard. "What was that, old man?!" Kreema tried to reach out to grab her shoulder, but she was nearly on top of him.

"I wasn't referring to you two, unless you have something to confess." He stared up at her with a smug expression, and Tamegi's fist loosened, scoffing with frustration as she whipped her head away.

"The Saiyans have been decimating several planets in Galactic Patrol space for months now. The havoc they have wrought is immense, yet by the time their agents arrive, they are already gone. Tracking them has been difficult, any ships that close in on their transport are immediately destroyed. Two of their elite agents managed to catch up with them on an outpost planet. Both were killed, their bodies discovered, or what was left of them, in a crater approximately two-hundred and twelve yards long and thirty-two yards deep."

Tamegi chuckled. "So you want us to kill these maniacs? We're not killers, no deal."

Doctor Lope laughed nervously. "No no, I'm sure the good Agent Omuri and the Galactic Patrol would not appreciate me endorsing such violent methods. They want the troublemakers captured alive, though I'm certain accidents do happen, especially when wrangling such dangerous animals.."

Kreema meekly chimed in on the conversation, "Aren't you with the Galactic Patrol?"

Doctor Lope shook his head. "Consider me merely a willing guest of the Galactic Patrol. They, I should say, *liberated* me from the Frieza Force, and in return for producing technology for them and top-secret intel from my time in the Frieza Force, I am given this spectacular laboratory and all the time to work to my heart's content."

Kreema nodded, listening doubly close to make up for Tamegi's lack of an attention span. 

"Now, I've just one more thing left to tend to before I can properly prepare you to face these Saiyans." Pressing a finger to a device around his wrist, he held it up to his mouth and spoke into it. "Lewiki, please dispatch a mobile platform to the laboratory."

A moment later, the doors to the lab slid open again, and a figure stood in the doorway.

Tamegi and Kreema turned, their eyes meeting the unliving stare of a humanoid figure, their skin metallic and the same familiar synthetic markings adorning their brow. Kreema nearly screamed in fright, and Tamegi readied a fighting stance as she stepped in front of her sister.

"Doctor Lope, the gravity chamber has been prepared." The being spoke with a voice more akin to that of a young boy, walking past Tamegi and Kreema to attend to Doctor Lope.

"This is Lewiki, an autonomous, mobile platform of information that I developed to aide the Galactic Patrol, and as to serve as my personal assistant." Doctor Lope seemed unconcerned with the reaction of the two.

Tamegi screamed, pointing at Lewiki with a mixture of fear and fury. "Are you KIDDING?! THAT'S THE THING THAT ATTACKED US!"

Lewiki stared at Tamegi, blinking once in a disturbingly emotionless reaction. Doctor Lope stared at the two of them, visibly confused. "I'm afraid you must be mistaken, I can assure you that Lewiki has no combat capabilities, and cannot act unless instructed. He possesses no autonomy of his own. Think of him like.. A walking database."

Tamegi shouted again, stomping a foot and throwing her arms to her sides with both fists clenched. "I don't care what it is, it attacked us in our sleep!"

Agent Omuri furrowed his brow with concern. "Doctor, in the interest of security, I think it would be best to run a diagnostic scan on all currently operational Lewiki units."

With a sigh, Doctor Lope complied. "Yes, fine. Whatever you think is necessary. In the meantime, if you have any questions, Lewiki can answer them. Now then.."

Doctor Lope took a remote from his work-table, and pointed it at the wall behind them. Pressing a large button on the remote, the wall opened, revealing a massive room with a glass sphere on the inside. "This is an artificial gravity chamber I have developed for intensive training, designed to refine your body under the immense pressure of gravitational forces much stronger than the planets that most agents are accustomed to."

Tamegi, still anxious around the synthetic figure hovering behind them, cautiously turned to Doctor Lope. "So, what's the point of showing it to us?"

Doctor Lope nodded, fastening his goggles over his eyes. "The Saiyans you are hunting were born on a planet with exponentially stronger gravity than that of what you are most likely accustomed to. Their homeworld's gravitational strength is about ten-times stronger than the planet we are on now."

Tamegi remembered her time on Planet Vegeta, having forgotten the strain of the planet's gravity until now. "You sure know a lot about the Saiyans, old man."  
Doctor Lope gave a sarcastic grin. "Of course I do, because the Saiyans exterminated my people."

Kreema, who had been eyeing the gravity chamber with curiosity, turned to stare in shock at Doctor Lope, along with Tamegi who uncrossed her arms, disturbed by his words.

"Now, if you would so kindly perform your bio-fusion. As I have been briefed, the two of you are exponentially stronger when combined, and I believe the fruits of your training will be substantially greater if performed while as one."

Tamegi steeled herself, reaching out her hand for Kreema to take. Instead of accepting it, Kreema looked to Tamegi, and then to Doctor Lope. "Saiyans hurt our people too. They have hurt too many people."

Her words gave Doctor Lope pause, and he began to stroke his mustache in thought. "Then for all our sakes, let us hope you have the strength to stop them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lewiki (English - Lemon-kiwi)


	37. Progress makes Perfect

The gravity chamber hummed with a constant, subtle rumbling that permeated the laboratory, with Doctor Lope watching through the observation wall intently. Several hours had passed since Tamega began her training in the chamber, and Doctor Lope had nearly run out of paper to jot down notes on.

Agent Omuri entered and walked up next to Doctor Lope, standing next to him without a word as they both silently observed Tamega. He had left as soon as the training began, and was curious on their progress. "How's she doing?"

Doctor Lope grinned, his hours-long concentration finally broken. "Excellent, far better than any of the other agents you have sent me."

Agent Omuri squinted, peering into the gravity chamber to see Tamega, who was floating in the air with her legs crossed. "She's just.. Sitting there? Has she even been training?"

Flipping through various notes, Doctor Lope began the typical monologue of his findings. "Ah, but that is the most interesting part. The other Agents that have managed to endure training under ten-times gravity were doing simple strength training, or exercise, or utilizing drone-based combat programs. For the past twelve hours, Tamega has simply been.. *Living* in the amplified gravity. She's adapting her body to it, in the most simple yet effective way. Her breathing, sleep-cycles, blood pressure, muscles, everything in her body is acclimatizing as if she were living in it her entire life."

Agent Omuri scoffed, crossing his arms. "You sound quite impressed for some kid that can handle a measly ten-times amplified gravity."

With a smirk, he continued flipping through his notes. "Ah, but that is the most interesting factor. She _began_ at _eight_ -times gravity. This was somewhat difficult for her to adapt, but it took less than an hour before she managed to enter a deep meditative-trance. Thinking to test her ability to adapt, I amplified it to ten-times gravity after five hours. An hour later, I amplified it to eleven."

Agent Omuri raised an eyebrow. "And what is she at now?"

Adjusting his goggles, Doctor Lope grinned. "She has been at twenty-two-times standard gravitational force for approximately twelve hours. I never once told her that I would be adjusting the gravity multiplier, and beyond some minor facial expressions implying slight discomfort, she has not made any complaints."

Uncrossing his arms, Agent Omuri sputtered. "That's- There's no way a child could endure that. You're certain she's alright in there?"

"More than alright, she's thriving, as if her body was born for adaptation. The Saiyans are a hardy race, but her dual-heritage is worth investigating further.. Regardless, I believe it is about time for her to come out."

Walking toward the wall, Doctor Lope pressed a button that activated an intercom inside the chamber. "Tamega? You've been in ten-times gravity for approximately eighteen hours, how do you feel?"

Her concentration broken, Tamega winced, chuckling softly as she realized the strain on her body. "Hahh, I'm alright, a little sore to be honest.." Wiping the sweat from her brow, she slowly lowered to the floor and took a deep breath, exhaling it as Doctor Lope powered down the gravity chamber. All at once, she felt a burst of energy as the unseen burden around her vanished. Doctor Lope turned to Agent Omuri and winked with a sly grin, "Better not to tell her the truth, we don't want her getting overconfident."

Exiting the chamber, Doctor Lope pointed to two weights in the corner of the lab. "Before you entered, I had you lift two ten-ton weights, and you struggled to lift even one. For the sake of recording your progress, I'd like you to try lifting them again."

Tamega shrugged, rolling her tensed shoulders. "It's only been a day, I'm not sure how much I could've improved."

Approaching the weights and grasping one in both hands, Tamega took a breath through her nostrils and hoisted, managing to lift both just up to her waist. When she could no longer lift them further, she slowly set them back down, panting and covered in sweat. "Not quite.."

Doctor Lope and Agent Omuri exchanged glances. "Progress, my friend. We'll try again tomorrow, but for now I have more tests to perform, and some questions."

Agent Omuri nodded, moving to leave the lab. "I'll leave you to it, but keep me notified of any substantial progress."

Offering little more than a grunt as Agent Omuri left, Doctor Lope turned back to Tamega. "Now, I believe it would be best to discuss your.. Ancestry."

Tamega frowned, immediately trying to suppress her agitation at his inquiry. "We're not going through this again."

Raising a hand in an attempt to calm her, Doctor Lope was quick to assuage her worry. "Relax, I did not intend to bring up your Saiyan heritage. Rather, am I wrong in assuming one of your parents were not Saiyan?"

Her expression somewhat lightened, offering a single nod. Doctor Lope fetched yet another empty journal quickly making various speedy scriblings. "I require as much detail as possible per to the nature of your non-Saiyan parent."

Tamega was unsure how to respond, having never been asked about her mother, and torn on whether she was comfortable discussing her people to a stranger. "I.. I'm not entirely comfortable talking about this."

Nodding, Doctor Lope seemingly understood her hesitation. "I can promise that our conversations will remain fully confidential."

Tamega took a deep breath before speaking. "I suppose it couldn't hurt.." Crossing her arms in thought, she pondered where to begin. "Our mother was from Planet Gyuu, and our people are called Gyuumans. We're not fighters, at least not besides me."

Doctor Lope frowned. "And, forgive me but I must ask.. Is your mother still..?"

Tamega sighed softly. "When a Gyuuman is near death, they merge with another Gyuuman to preserve their knowledge and memories. Our mother was wounded by a Saiyan, and she merged with Kreema. Tamegi and Kreema use the same form of merging, but temporarily, instead of merging permanently."

While curious at her description of Tamegi and Kreema as if they were people other than herself, Doctor Lope had spent his life studying Saiyans, and had a number of unverified reports of half-Saiyans experiencing bursts of power when enraged. Sensing a potential gold-mine of information, he pressed further. "And when your mother was attacked.. How did this make you feel?"

Tamega glared at him, irritated that he could even ask such a question. "So, now you're my therapist?"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I realize it could be somewhat of a sensitive topic, my apologies. But if there is a chance at helping you fully utilize your strength, I must know every facet of your abilities to prepare you for fighting the Saiyans."

With a burst of energy as her hair flashed yellow, Tamega's aura ignited around her in a golden explosion, sending papers and scientific instruments flying around the lab. Doctor Lope fell on his back, staring up at her with horror. Tamega simply stared down at him, as electrical plasma circled her. "This is how it made me feel. All I wanted to do was kill." Doctor Lope went wide-eyed with terror, afraid she was about to kill him for pushing her, and seeing this fear in his eyes placed a strain on Tamega's heart. Clenching her eyes tight, the power faded, and her eyes and hair returned to their normal color.

Slowly rising to his feet and collecting himself, Doctor Lope checked over himself to ensure he was in one piece. "W-Well, such a transformation is certainly unheard of in Saiyans."

Crossing her arms and taking a breath, Tamega calmed herself. "I prefer not to use it. Despite the obvious strength, I can't stand the feeling that overcomes me. It's corruptive, it overwhelms me with feelings of rage and desire to kill. So instead, I focus on happy feelings, like joy and calm."

Tamega clenched a fist, her aura igniting in an orange glow, and her hair lengthening down her back. The rise of energy was more calm this time, little more than a breeze kicking up suddenly in the lab. Doctor Lope continued scribbling notes, observing the transformation. "This form does not seem as.. Potent as the one you demonstrated before."

Looking at the crackling and popping sparks of energy as they trickled along her arms, Tamega nodded. "This form is much faster, but it's also not as strong physically."

Powering down, Tamega's hair receded and her aura faded. Doctor Lope, still scribbling away, began to think out loud. "And yet, despite your hesitation to call yourself a Saiyan, your transformations say otherwise. These forms you have discovered are simple derivatives of the same transformation."

Frowning, Tamega took his words into consideration. "So?"

Doctor Lope tugged his goggles off of his face and draped them around his neck. "So, while I would advise against pretending a side of yourself does not exist, you've yet to tap into the potential of your heritage. Your Gyuuman side is amplified by your Saiyan side, and thus you must learn to compliment it."

Tamega stared down at her own hand, contemplating the meaning of his words.

"Now, if you would so kindly clean up this mess.. In return, I'll refrain from pushing you in the future, if you agree not to destroy my workspace." Tamega met his request with a worried nod, frantically moving to clean up the disaster area that had become the laboratory. 


	38. Surging Saiyan

A week of training left Tamega exhausted, yet her will was unwavering, unable to allow herself to falter. She spent most hours of the day exercising in the gravity chamber, even foregoing sleep to meditate inside. The only exception were meals which she ate in the lab with Doctor Lope, who she found to be a surprisingly attentive listener.

Tamega was unable to fully trust him just yet, but she came to appreciate his company, and he found her a fascinating test subject. It wasn't every day that a scientific mind such as himself had the chance to document a willing Saiyan's abilities.

By the end of the first week, Tamega found herself able to lift twenty-ton weights in ten-times gravity, surprising even herself.

One afternoon while Doctor Lope and Tamega were eating lunch, an idea formed in Doctor Lope's head. He took a sip of his cup of tea, before setting it aside. "So, in studying your transformations, I think I have come to a hypothesis." 

Tamega, who was in the middle of chewing a substanially large bite of food, stopped chewing for a moment to listen. "Mmhm?"

Picking up a journal on his desk next to where he set down his tea, Doctor Lope began flipping through the pages of his rabbid scribbling. "When you transform, it appears your body is undergoing a sort of limited mutation. I'm still unclear on the trigger for these mutations, but I have several theories." 

Tamega swallowed her food and listened intently. "Tell me, are you familiar with the Saiyan ability to transform into a Great Ape?"

"I don't believe so, no." Tamega sat back in her chair, unsure of what he meant.

"When solar light reflects off of the surface of a planet's moon, it intensifies and focuses the light as it shines onto the surface of the planet. Saiyan scientists referred to this phenomenon as 'Blutz Waves'. Though I have reason to believe any substantially powerful refraction of celestial light is enough to trigger it, the simple sight of the full moon in the eyes of a Saiyan causes them to undergo a primal transformation. The simian form of this transformation is around fifty meters tall, and the raw strength is enough to level entire cities."

Most of his words were well beyond Tamega's understanding, but she did her best to appear as if she were still following. "When a Saiyan becomes a Great Ape, I believe they are undergoing a mutation allowing them to access an ancient evolutionary form. Following this line of thinking, your golden form would be a similar latent mutation."

Tamega scratched her head, trying to understand and failing miserably. "So.. That means..?"

Chuckling, Doctor Lope scratched at his chin. "I should try to simplify my explanation, perhaps.. What I mean to say is, your body is capable of undergoing rapid, temporary change to access vestigial mutations as a survival trait. Though this is mostly the Saiyan genes in your blood, there is reason to assume you can use this survival trait to amplify your Gyuuman genes."

Watching Tamega, he realized she still was not understanding. "Alright.. In the simplest terms possible then. Your Saiyan half has a survival trait allowing you to change, and that trait can likely be applied to your Gyuuman half."

The gears in Tamega's head began to click, and she suddenly understood. "I.. I think I understand what you mean."

Doctor Lope stood up and took one last swig of his tea, clasping both hands together. "Then I believe your goal is obvious. When you are ready, enter the gravity chamber and concentrate on what makes you a Gyuuman."  
Tamega nodded, washing down her food with a swig of water and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Rising and entering the chamber, she heard the whirring of the chamber as it began to pressurize, the force trying to crush her immediately.

Walking slowly to the center of the chamber, Tamega took a seat on the ground, wincing under the strain of the ten-times gravity. She focused her energy enough to allow her to hover slightly off the floor, floating with her legs crossed and her hands interlocked.

She tried to focus on what Doctor Lope told her, her eyes clenching as thoughts of home flooded her mind. 'What does it mean to be a Gyuuman?'  
Kreema's memories took hold, remembering how she learned to harness her energy. She focused on how it felt to master her energy, the feeling of her very spirit manifesting outside of her body. The surge of power, intoxicating, yet comforting.

That comfort was what she chose to focus on. 'I am not a Saiyan.. I reject that power. I am not an animal. I am control. I am calm.'

Unbeknownst to her, Doctor Lope began slowly raising the level inside the gravity chamber. Though she assumed it would begin at times-ten gravity, it was activated at times-twenty. He watched her as if timing the perfect moment, slowly and gradually raising the levels to twenty-three, then twenty-four, twenty-five..

'Calm.. Control.. Concentrate..' Her ki began to surge, overflowing and swirling around her. Her hair rustled against the rising power, and her breathing quickened.

Sensing the moment was now, Doctor Lope cranked up the settings to their maximum, fifty-times gravity. All at once, the force threatened to crush Tamega.

Instinctually, her very spirit responded, flaring and wrapping around her. Tamega's mouth opened to gasp for breath, her eyes opening slightly as air rushed into her lungs. It felt as if she could feel the air in her chest flow throughout her entire body, a trickling along every vein in her body.

Focusing her breathing, Tamega outstretched her arms as a vibrant, dark-green aura surrounded her. Doctor Lope was concerned, but merely observed. Compared to the violent transformation of her Saiyan forms, this one seemed more relaxed. Her hair straightened and draped over her face, as if submerged in water, her very ki soaking her.

Tamega opened her eyes fully, staring at her hands. She could see flowing lines throughout her veins, and she realized she could see the path that her energy was taking inside of her body. Though she physically felt no stronger or faster, she felt unburdened by the effect of the fifty-times gravity. She took a moment to stretch before running in place, finding the ease of movement strange.

Every time she moved her limbs, Tamega could feel her energy come alive, as if it had a mind of it's own, _her_ mind. Her energy became like serpentine appendages, surrounding her and following her commands like her own hands.  
"Tamega, can you hear me?"

She wanted to respond with words, but it felt as if doing so would break the concentration required to hold this form. She simply nodded, still waving her hands with curiosity and watching the energy ebb and flow.

"I'm going to send in a few drones. Try to destroy them as quickly as you can manage."

Just as he said, the drones appeared hovering over head, and began firing weak bolts of energy. Enough to sting but not cause harm.

The bolts fired at her and she felt too slow to dodge them, merely raising her hands to defend herself. Her energy responded, tendrils of ki wrapping in front of her and blocking the shots. Reaching out with her hand and walking toward the drone, her energy wormed and coiled around the drone, crushing it as if an extension of her hand.

The remaining drones spun around her faster, firing bolt after bolt at her. Exhaling, her breath visible a vibrant green, Tamega swung her arms as if she were wielding twin blades, her energy reaching out and striking two of the drones. Tucking in her arms, her aura focused into a barrier as the drones approached her from the front.

With another inhale and a strong exhale, Tamega slammed her hands forward, the energy barrier extending and ramming the remaining drones against the back wall of the gravity chamber.

Doctor Lope grinned as he watched her display of perfect mastery over her energy, his mind racing with possibilities. "Good, Tamega. Very good."


	39. The Restless Wicked

A voice stirred Tamega from her meditative rest, 'waking' her. "Rise and shine, we've got news."

Tamega rose to her feet and walked to exit the gravity chamber, the entire chamber whirring as it powered down and the clear glass door slid open. "Good news or bad?"

Agent Omuri stood next to Doctor Lope, the two of them ready to fill her in. Agent Omuri stood with his arms crossed behind him, speaking plainly. "Depends on how ready you think you are. We've traced the current path of the Saiyans, and they're likely to appear on Galactic Patrol outpost nine-nine-dash-oh-four. Keeping in mind, you may be our best bet at stopping them and we can't afford to lose you if you think you aren't ready. But, every moment we delay is another life lost."

Tamega crashed her fists together, a gust of wind erupting throughout the laboratory as she smirked. "Screw that, I'm ready."

Doctor Lope smiled and placed a hand on Tamega's shoulder, beaming with what almost could be described as a father's pride for their daughter. "I wish you the best of luck Tamega, and in the event you are successful-"

Tamega laughed. "So, that's how little faith you have in me. Maybe another week in the gravity chamber couldn't hurt?"

Lowering his head with a chuckle, he retracted his hand. " _When_ you are successful, we will have tea to celebrate."

Tamega placed both hands at her sides, and bowed respectfully to Doctor Lope, who gestured with a subtle nod in return. As she and Agent Omuri exited the laboratory, a Lewiki unit entered, Tamega passing 'him' with an uneasy glance.

"Doctor Lope, the Saiyan's blood samples have been sequenced." The Doctor nodded, pointing over to his desk. "Leave them over there, thank you Lewiki." Thinking aloud as Lewiki left him alone, Doctor Lope sighed. "That child's potential is frightening.. If we're not careful, she could be a greater threat than any full-blood Saiyan."

Pressing a button on the device around his wrist, a microscopic nano-metal device activated on Tamega's shoulder, allowing him to hear and see everything around her as Agent Omuri delivered her to her scheduled meeting with the Saiyans. "Best to leave nothing to chance.. This may be my final opportunity to observe her, depending on the outcome.."

~~\--------------------~~

Agent Omuri sat inside the cockpit of his ship, monitoring for any sign of the Saiyans' approach, while Tamegi stood watch next to Kreema who sat meditating just beside his ship, the two trying to conserving every ounce of energy they had for the upcoming battle. 

"Look alive, reports of two objects entering the upper atmosphere." Kreema snapped to attention, opening her eyes and rising to her feet. "I thought you said they travel in some type of transport?"

Frowning, Agent Omuri was equally surprised. "..I'm not sure, but as far as we can tell they're incoming separately."

Tamegi nodded, cracking her neck and jumping in place as Kreema took her hand, the two of them merging once again into Tamega. "You may want to leave, I'm not doubting your abilities but I can't guarantee your safety." Agent Omuri sighed with a nod. "You're not wrong, a Saiyan is well beyond what most agents of the Galactic Patrol can deal with."

The bubbled-dome on his ship closed over him, and he pressed a button to activate the ship's external intercom. "We'll be close by monitoring the fight. Best of luck, Tamega."

Tamega nodded, truthfully somewhat anxious as he flew to safety. In her mind, she still felt a shred of doubt that she wasn't ready.

Regardless, fate had no time for her hesitation. Two crashes could be heard miles away, as dust and debris flew high into the air. Without pause, she furrowed her brow and sprinted full speed toward the impact-site. Now unburdened by the training environment of the gravity chamber, she felt like the wind itself, her entire body loose enough to flow across the terrain as if she were a rock skipping on water.

Stopping just short of a colossal crater, Tamega spotted two figures conversing. No ship or transport were plainly visible, as far as she could see they arrived simply by falling from space.

The figures spotted her, both raising a palm to fire a surge of red energy that rushed past her face, only just managing to avoid the twin beams as she ducked.

The twin figures rose into the air overhead, before closing in and landing on either side of Tamega. It was then that she managed to get a good look at the both of them, the attackers perhaps too curious to attack outright after their first attempt had narrowly failed.

"Huh, a speedy little rat, aren't ya?" A voice, seemingly that of a male, spoke with a condescending tone. The other figure said nothing, a blank expression on her face. Though widely different in physical shape and build, the both of them had pure white hair, even their distinctly Saiyan tails were white-furred as they flicked at the ground with irritation, or perhaps anticipation.

They were both equipped with armor similar to that of Niragi and his warriors, though with slight variations in that they lacked shoulderpads or any distinct markings.

"Well, little rat, hope you're more fun than any of the insects on the last planet." He raised his palm again, readying an attack.

"Wait!" Tamega shouted, loud enough that it travelled for miles around. The male Saiyan took pause, and the female Saiyan perched her eyebrow with subtle curiosity. "Hm?"

Tamega approached him slowly, staring up into his eyes. His height was freightening, easily overshadowing her twice over. It would be an easy feet for him to crush her torso in one enormous hand.

"My name is Tamega." She offered a hand to him, but he merely stared at the outstretched hand, confused at the gesture. He simply replied, "Yami," at the very least understanding the concept of an introduction, and finding the interaction too amusing to turn her down.

Behind him, the female Saiyan scoffed. "Why are you talking to it? We're not keeping it. Kill it and let's move on." Yami sneered and barked a response back to her. "Ugh, shut up Daizi, no one's tried talking to us before. I wanna see where the little rat tries to take this."

Sweating with worry, Tamega lowered her hand. "Yami, I want to ask that you both leave this planet in peace."

The male sneered, confused but entertained. "Why?"

Tamega winced with surprise. "W-Why? Because you've hurt people, and they're afraid. It isn't a complicated question, I'm asking you to simply please leave them be."

The male Saiyan rolled his shoulders as he chuckled lightly. "I still don't understand. Why should we stop?"

Frowning as she understood her attempts at a peaceful resolution had failed, she clenched her fists. "Because if you don't, I have to stop you."

His cackle erupted into a fully blown howl of laughter, clutching his sides as he looked as if he were almost in pain. "You _can't_ stop us, moron! Ahahaha..!"

Unperturbed by his insidious barking, her focused intent only intensified by his obnoxious taunting, Tamega lowered herself to the ground, before launching as if she were standing on a spring-board. Bringing her knee up to catch his chin as she rose, his head whipped back, just as she delivered a punch square to his nose, the combined force of both strikes sending him hurtling backwards and spinning uncontrollably.

Assuming he had been dealt with, she turned to the smaller Saiyan expecting a fight, yet she simply offered a disinterested glare, her arms still crossed as she looked at something past Tamega. The male's cackling continued, until it shifted into an enraged roar, causing Tamega to turn and observe.

His arms outstretched at his sides, Yami's eyes glowed a frightening yellow. Unlike Tamega's transformations, which commonly changed the color of her pupils and irises, Tamega could see that his were focused with a piercing yellow gaze, the pupils unchanged yet devoid of emotion beyond rage, and the hunger to kill.


	40. Freedom

Yami's white hair fluttered, sparking and lifting from the force of his aura. With a booming roar, he charged at Tamega, his expression a mix of rage and an excited smile. Both arms were raised ready to grab her, as Daizi began to rise off the ground into the air to observe from above.

Tamega took a stance, readying herself as he closed the gap between them. As his figure beared down over her, for a moment she saw her father, the visage of Niragi unmistakable in this savage monster's shadow. Where once such a sight would cripple her with fear, it only made her more focused, more determined.

Yami tried to slam both hands to crush Tamega down the middle, but she managed to duck, rising and delivering a hard fist to his left cheek. Snarling through his teeth, Yami swung both of his clasped hands at her, slamming against her back like a pile of lumber.

Gasping as spit flew from her mouth, she clenched her teeth and gripped down onto the flesh of his arms, throwing herself into the air before spinning and delivering a hard kick to the top of his head.  
Yami snarled, unphased by her assault as he flailed mindlessly in an attempt to grab and crush her. Recognizing the almost embarrasing predictability in his attacks, she managed to adapt quickly, dodging and spinning to avoid blow after blow.

With a ferocious howl, Yami drove both fists forward with enough force to pierce steel, intending to impale Tamega. Falling backwards with her feet facing his fists, she leaped off of them and spun away into an upright position again, before jumping and punching downwards at his skull.

The ground around Yami sundered and cracked, but he remained unmoving. Swiping both massive palms and catching Tamega's left leg, and then her right arm, he slowly began pull her apart.

Inhaling deep through her nostrils, Tamega felt all of her energy surge at once, her hair turning a dark green as it became weighed down as if submerged in water, the strands rippling and flowing in response to her aura. Expanding her energy outward from her skin, she slowly forced his hands off of her to free herself, before wrapping it around his limbs and slowly pinning him down.

Daizi watched with more apparent interest, observing this transformation with a growing curiosity.

Yami roared, his own energy rising as his muscles flared, and the energy bonds shattered like glass. Rising and trying to punt Tamega as he slammed his foot forward, Tamega's energy manifested in front of her to protect from the blow, again shattering under the force of Yami's power and forcing her away from him. 

Tamega could feel Yami's strength rising beyond what she was capable of fighting, realizing she had to end the fight quickly. Channeling all of her energy into her fist, she ran as fast as her body would carry her at Yami, jumping into the air with a scream.

Yami reeled back and punched, his fist colliding with her energy-laced punch. A sonic boom erupted outward, the ground rippling and shredding around them as it forced both of them away from the other. Tamega managed to land on her feet, while Yami landed hard on his back. Both readied in preparation to trade blows again, until Tamega spotted something in the distance, a figure watching their battle from afar.

A metallic gleam reflected off the figure's skin, visible in the distance to the three. Even Daizi had taken note, if only out of curiosity. Tamega, ignoring the hulking behemoth bearing down on her, was overcome with dread.

Frozen with fear, Tamega realized the distant spectator was the mysterious attacker that had nearly killed her a week prior, the unmistakable gleam of their reflective liquid-metal body striking terror in her very soul.

Yet, the figure made no attempt to move or attack, simply observing the scuffle between the Saiyans.

Yami rushed Tamega again, prompting her to casually jump over him, ignoring him as she flew to greet the spectator.

A pit in her stomach screamed at her to turn back, the spectator watching emotionlessly as it stared down at them from a stone pillar, and at Tamega as she approached closer and closer.

Yami snarled and flailed about as he watched Tamega move further and further away, enraged at the fight's sudden interruption.

Coming to a halt and staring up at the figure, it was then that the memories came flooding back, Tamegi's memories of Planet Vegeta, and a girl in a strange, metallic dress..

Deciding her only option now was an all-or-nothing gamble, she stared directly at the figure and called out.

"Your name is Turia, right?" Tamega shouted, trying to gain its attention.

Without a word or reaction, the figure dropped down to the ground in front of Tamega, staring at her as if it were a computer analyzing something. "My designation is Turia. You recall this from your interactions with the Turia Unit Mobile Platforms and Turia Unit Primary Core on Planet Plant."

Tamega found it odd that she was remarkably unchanged since the time Tamegi had met her as a child. She wore the same strange dress with long, oversized sleeves, though she now wore heeled boots. Tamega nodded anxiously, gulping before speaking again. "Why did you attack Kreema and Tamegi?"

Turia focused her eyes on Tamega and spoke coldly. "You are Saiyans. Saiyan presence on this, or any other protected world will not be tolerated."

Clenching her fists, Tamega corrected her. "We are not Saiyans. Those two, however.." She pointed behind her, to Daizi hovering overhead, and Yami slamming his hands against the ground like an impatient child. "They want to kill everyone on this world for fun. I'm trying to stop them."

Turia said nothing, staring at her, until Tamega spoke again. "All I'm asking is that you help me stop them. They're stronger together than either of us alone."

"Impossible. Saiyan cooperation is unacceptable."

Tamega exhaled through her nostrils, visibly frustrated. "We are _not_ Saiyans."

"Your genetic code is fifty-percent Saiyan. Cooperation is unaccept-"

Tamega shouted, reiterating firmly once again. "We. Are NOT. SAIYANS."

Turia paused for a moment, her eyes flashing erratically as if 'thinking'. "A.. _Temporary_ ceasing of hostilities is accepted." Her heels ignited with energy, rocketing off of the ground and speeding like a bullet at Yami. 

Powering into her sparking form, Tamega's hair lengethened as she raced after Turia. The two circled Yami before meeting him and slamming into him at the same time, Turia's heel-boot crashing into his face, as Tamega's fist landed against his side.

Growling, Yami tore a stone chunk from the ground with his bare hands, trying to smash the two of them with it. Turia's eyes lit up and fired a beam that reduced it to molten rock, the magma splashing across him and causing him to scream as it burned his skin. 

Reaching out with a hand faster than Tamega could see, she watched as Yami grabbed hold of Turia and squeezed tight, trying to crush her. Turia stared unresponsive, before suddenly melting into liquid in his hand and flowing along the ground, under his legs behind him where she reformed and delivered a series of hard kicks to his spine.

Yami wailed in pain, spinning and swiping at her, but she turned to liquid through his strike, reforming as it passed through her and proceeding to strike again and again up along the length of his arms. 

With a final roar of defiance, Yami's mouth erupted with a beam of green energy, which tore across the sky and far into space. Turia melted into metallic fluid to avoid it, slithering rapidly along the ground and reforming underneath him, striking upward at his chin to close his mouth instantly. The overflowing energy burst inside him, and he began coughing up blood, the force of the strike leaving his teeth cracked.

Yet Turia's assault was unwavering, even in victory. Standing over his gargantuan body, again and again she struck him, until his bones began to break one-by-one. Tamega, realizing what was happening, quickly stepped in.  
Grasping her wrist and shouting, she tried to pull Turia away. "He's done! That's enough!"

Turia instinctively turned and readied a hand to strike Tamega, taking pause only out of confusion for her action in seemingly saving the Saiyan. "He is not dead, my task is incomplete."

Tamega glared at her, pulling her down from atop Yami's chest. "You're not killing him. He's beaten and broken, he can't hurt anyone like this."

Yami's sense returned to him, his eyes relaxing despite the agonizing pain in every fiber of his being. Daizi, sensing the fight had long since reached its conclusion, slowly descended to meet her brother. As she drew closer, she felt a wave of anxiety washing over her, and Tamega could plainly see the apparent fear on her face.

He cackled, reaching out for his sister in a desperate bid for help with his one still-functional arm. "H-Haha.. Looks like I really messed up again, right s-sis..?"

Daizi stared down at him, realizing that she was trembling with fear, and.. What Tamega could only discern as 'excitement'. Tamega's lengthened hair sparked with orange energy, preparing for the inevitable reprisal from Daizi. "Just take him and go. We won't stop you, just leave and don't hurt anyone."

She looked Tamega in the eyes with shock, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. There was an expression of what could only be described as anguish, as she took Yami's hand in her own.

Softly, she muttered something too quiet for Tamega to audibly hear, causing her to raise a puzzled eyebrow. "What?"

Daizi hoisted Yami far into the air, and her body went obscured by his hulking body being lifted in front of her. Yami's expression was a weak, ignorant smile, completely oblivious to what was happening. The Saiyan clenched his throat tight with both hands, cackling maniacally as she strangled the life out of him, before firing a beam up into the air that tore him from the ground and consumed him in a wave of plasmic energy.

Daizi stared at the sky, watching as the dust that was once her brother faded slowly in the howling wind. She lowered her head, her eyes shut with tears flowing over her face.

A soft giggle escaped her lips, and another. The first show of emotion Tamega had seen from her thus far. She clutched her sides, crying and laughing all at once. Finally, she opened her eyes slightly, staring at Tamega with overwhelming joy.

"Thank you.. *I'm finally free.*"

Tamega stood silent in shock at what she had witnessed. "He.. He was your brother..?"

Daizi cackled again, as a shockwave of energy pulsed outward. "Thank you.. Thank you.." Her eyes flashed white with berserk fury, the joy overwhelming her as her mind came undone.

She opened her arms wide, laughing for the entire planet to hear, as her hair spiked upwards with a familiar golden glow.

Yet, something was wrong to Tamega. The golden hue began to grow sickly and warped, turning a shade of light green. An explosive ray of light surrounded Daizi, erupting into the sky, blinding Tamega and pushing her away.

The light faded, and Daizi stood transformed, her hair now a greenish-yellow. Tamega had no time to process what was happening, as Daizi stared at her, still smiling, but this time with a grin befitting a monster hunting prey.


	41. Primal Instinct

Daizi's lime-green hair pulsed with the same energy flooding her body, her contracted pupils focused on Tamega, her face stuck in a sickly, toothy smile. 

Overwhelmed with fear, Tamega transformed into her own golden form, her hair sparking with electrical plasma as she took a defensive stance.

Turia, unphased by the overly dramatic change, raised both hands to fire a volley of energy bolts, which crashed into Daizi's face. Smiling, she charged Turia faster than she could react, clotheslining her and slamming her into the ground. The force of the brunt attack rattled Turia, who began spasming uncontrollably.

Twitching and jerking as she shifted into a liquid metal form, she tried to slither into the cracks in the dirt to escape, only for Daizi to tear the entire chunk of earth out of the ground, with her in it. Dropping it and kicking it in mid-air, the stone shattered as Turia tried to reform mid-air among the debris, a look of terror visible to Tamega for only a split second.

With a deranged scream, Daizi slammed her palm forward, erasing Turia with a beam of energy that stretched out and blocked out the sky. Tamega trembled as all she could do was watch, freezing solid when Daizi turned to look her in the eyes.

In a fraction of a second, Daizi was standing over Tamega, her fist coming crashing down on Tamega faster than she could process. Tamega's body buckled, her legs giving out as she was pummeled into the dirt. 

Holding her there and forcing her to listen, Daizi leaned forward, the same sickly smile on her face as her eyes, blinded with rage, closed for but a moment. "I've been trying to get rid of that stupid bastard my entire life.. I thought I was stuck being his keeper forever.. This is the happiest day of my life, I'll never be able to repay you.."

"*But I'm not done with you yet..*" Daizi hoisted Tamega into the air by her face, delivering punch after punch to her gut. "*Fight BACK. Entertain me. I NEED TO KNOW!*" She screamed, tossing Tamega like a ragdoll. " **I NEED TO KNOW THE TRUE EXTENT OF THIS POWER!** "

Watching her roll and stumble pathetically, Daizi sneered with disappointment. "When I saw you transform, I thought perhaps you might be a fun challenge. But you broke, just like all the rest.." 

Clawing at the dirt, Tamega tried to crawl back onto her feet, every bone in her body some variation of bruised, cracked, or broken. Her breathing was frantic, a combination of dread, terror, and overwhelming rage swirling in her stomach. Clenching both fists, Tamega screamed at Daizi as the two charged each other, Tamega's hands outstretched and ready to strike.

With one final sweep of her arms, Tamega was on the ground again. Daizi began to brutally thrash her into the dirt, again, and again, grinding her into the sundered earth. "Just like all the rest.."  
'We're dying... *I'm* dying..."

A voice rang through her mind, and she realized it was her own voice. And then, all at once, voices began to shout at her as the cold slowly crept over her skull. Haunting her, taunting her.

"Fear is like.. An evolutionary trait in all living things." 

"I thought to tame you, but I realize now that you cannot tame a beast." 

"Because you're pathetic like THEM!" 

"All I wanted to do was kill."

Finally, the voices ceased and she found solace in the silence. Then, a ringing in Tamega's ears as she realized her heart had stopped.

As Tamega went limp in Daizi's brutal grasp, she released her, smirking and turning away. "Trash."

Just as she moved to leave, a sound like hissing steam could be heard from behind her.

Tamega rose out of the broken earth, her energy swirling around her in an ominous display. Her entire body quivered and twitched, as if she were trembling with fear.

Daizi cackled and moved to strike, only for Tamega to back away in a leaping stride, her head ducked submissively in fear. Another chuckle escaped Daizi's lips, watching Tamega as she clutched her head pathetically.

Tamega let loose a sonic wail, forcing Daizi to clasp her palms over her ears with a pained grunt. "What..?!" Something poked at the back of Tamega's robes, as a tail tore a hole in her clothing and snaked its way outwards, flicking and slashing at the air wildly.

Tears rolled down Tamega's cheeks as she clenched her teeth and snarled, her hands clutching her hair and face. All of her limbs trembled, as steam emanated from her skin. Her aura flashed with a pulse in all directions, turning a corrupted blackened hue. Frantically looking in every direction, her irises became a pale white as tears rolled down her face.

Wincing, her hands were surrounded in a black aura that took the form of claws, tearing into her own flesh and forcing her to release her face. Her hands were physically unchanged, but surrounded in bestial energy.

Tamega stared at Daizi, releasing another sonic roar that forced Daizi backwards. Her hair began to prickle and sharpen as it slowly lengthened, Tamega letting loose cry after cry of pain. Finally, she gasped for breath as her arms dangled in front of her, the monstrous transformation having taken a toll on her body.

Daizi cackled as she looked upon Tamega's new form, her hair black and prickly and her body coated in her now corrupted energy. "For a moment you had me worried. I'll smash your head in just for hurting my ears like that." Daizi walked slowly toward her, and Tamega dropped to all fours like an animal.

With a single swift stride, Daizi tried to swipe at Tamega, who pounced into the air to avoid the blow. Staring down at Daizi and snarling, she landed on her and began striking her again and again with her energy claws.

Slashing at her chest and face more times than Daizi could process, she screamed with rage and threw Tamega off of her, wiping blood from her armor and face as she watched Tamega circling her on all fours like a frightened animal.

Firing a beam of energy from her mouth, Daizi tried to erase Tamega, only for her to divert the energy with her claws, forcing it upwards into the sky. With a snarl, Tamega forced her claws into the dirt beneath her, her energy erupting around Daizi and stabbing at her. 

Rushing at Daizi on all fours, she whipped her tail at Daizi's legs, causing her to buckle and fall to her knees. Tamega clasped both sides of Daizi's face with her claws, and screamed. The sound was like a billion daggers piercing Daizi's ears, tears rolling down her face in pain. For a fleeting moment, Daizi realized that this was what fear felt like.

Releasing her face for a moment, only to crash both hands against her head again and again, disorienting Daizi and leaving her open for assault after assault. Tamega stabbed at Daizi's gut with both palms as if her arms were an automatic weapon, her only intentions being a primal will to survive.

Daizi, in a final attempt to kill her would-be killer, flared her aura, the force of the explosion pushing Tamega back. Rising into the air and summoning all of the power she had left, Daizi screamed and aimed her clenching palm at Tamega, as a beam erupted outward toward her with a stomach-churning screeching sound, planning to erase her and the planet below in one final blow. "Die... DIE... **JUST DIEEEE**!"

The beast piloting Tamega's mind saw this, her eyes going wide. With a final howl of desperation, the cornered beast released a sonic wail that focused and concentrated, the sound too high-pitched for Daizi or Tamega to even hear. Her scream tore Daizi's beam apart, fracturing her arm.

Daizi hovered over the ground in shock, but before she could scream in pain, Tamega was above her, driving a final, raging, bestial punch that sent Daizi careening to the ground. The impact left her body audibly broken with a series of sickening snaps, a final gasp of air hissing from her throat before she lost consciousness.

Slowly descending to the ground herself, Tamega's entire body burned, her mind completely lost to her own rage. Howling in agony, her aura flickered out as all of her energy was expelled completely, the corrupted form dissipating in an instant as she passed out just as swiftly.


	42. Broken

Agent Omuri surveyed the damage to the surrounding area, his face pale with dread as he bore witness to the destruction of the Saiyans. A clean-up crew had arrived, alongside a medical team dispatched to transport Tamega to a facility where she could be properly cared for.

The first Saiyan, a female with white hair, had been found in a crater exponentially larger than her current size. The other Saiyan she was reported as travelling with was unaccounted for, possibly having fled. Lastly, Tamega was found unconscious near the female Saiyan's crater, her robes shredded and in tatters, yet she seemed competely uninjured. 

Agent Omuri watched as a mix of medical staff and elite agents fastened the gravely injured Saiyan into healing pod, chains around her neck, broken arms and legs, and even her tail, in the event she ever woke up again.

"How the hell did she do this..? And without a scratch on her.."

Crossing his arms with a sigh, Agent Omuri turned and entered his ship, the saucer-like ship scuttling after the medical vehicles to escort them back to the city.

~~\--------------------~~

Tamega found herself awake, but unable to move. Even her eyes were locked involuntarily, staring blankly at the ceiling. She could feel something in her mouth, stretching down into her throat and supplying a constant stream of oxygen. Her eyes began to water, tears rolling along the sides of her face.

"Her body is healthy, physically she has no external or internal injuries, but.. These energy fluctuations, I don't know that she'll ever be able to use her energy again, if she even wakes up."

Doctor Lope approached the bed, resting the back of his hand against Tamega's forehead to feel her temperature. "It's strange. The energy such fighters wield, it can destroy entire planets, reduce bodies to ash. Yet it is simply beyond what our tools of science can comprehend. As if it is not of this world, but conjured by their very spirit. By such logic.. One could formulate the theory that her very spirit has been fractured."

Two figures outside of Tamega's limited view remained silent, before Doctor Lope simply sighed and exited the room. One of the figures exited with him, while the other remained behind. 

Standing over Tamega, the figure placed a hand to her chest, just above her heart, and held it there. Tears still rolling down the sides of her face, she could just make out the familiar markings on their brow.

"Beyond all comprehensible calculations, you survived. One of my mobile platforms were completely atomized, yet you persist. Even compared to other Saiyans, you are a monster without compare."

Turia felt the beating of Tamega's heart, raising the opposite hand and liquifying it into metallic fluid, which took the shape of a long, sharp appendage. Slowly, she lowered it toward Tamega's head.

"You are a threat to all life in this universe. You cannot be suffered to exist, for the safety of every form of life."

Yet, the end never came. Turia hesitated, holding her spear-arm just in front of Tamega's forehead.

"Yet you are an incalculable number of unknown variables beyond my ability to process. Any attempt to kill you may result in a reflexive reprisal that will cost the lives of the people on this planet I have sworn to protect. I must suffer you to live, so that I may decipher the means to kill you."

Retreating both of her arms from Tamega, Turia stepped back. "I am able to determine that in this state, you are conscious and able to understand me. Know that I will remain hidden, watching you wherever you go. This is not mercy, only a delay of the inevitable."

Turia turned and left the room, leaving Tamega to do nothing but cry, alone in a prison of her own flesh.

~~\----------------------~~

After a two weeks in a closely-monitored facility, Tamega finally was able to move again, having been forced to endure the agony of being completely immobilized by her own body. As the doctors explained, the stress of the temporary transformation she underwent while fighting Daizi had exhausted all of her energy to heal her body, but exacted such a vicious toll on her that it forced her nervous system into a state of over-exertion. 

When Tamega decided to split while in the medical facility, Kreema, to the shock of the two sisters, found she was unable to use her energy. It felt as if something was blocking the flow of her ki, and the feeling of being unable to summon her energy sent her into a state of panic. Kreema became hysterical, unable to be reasoned with and only calming after Tamegi merged again with her, leaving Tamega with a permanent feeling of anxiety and dread.

Doctor Lope had no more answers than Tamega or any of the other doctors. She felt as if the world around her had told her she was dying, and no one had an answer as to why.

With nothing more to be done, and her healing seemingly as complete as possible, Doctor Lope encouraged for Tamega to be discharged and released. 

"Your ship has been finished for some time now, so you are free to leave whenever you desire." Tamega remained silent, not much for conversation in her new state of mind.

Doctor Lope recognized nothing he could say would change the way she felt, offering nothing more than a subtle nod to himself. "I just want you to know, you always have a place here. Whether it be for training, or some friendly conversation, or just a cup of tea. And of course, this time it'll be voluntary, not community service." He offered a teasing grin that lifted his mustache, but Tamega was unresponsive.

Walking down the hallway, Doctor Lope turned one last time to take a look at Tamega, but she was already gone, the Saiyan having left without even saying goodbye. "It's a wonder the drones managed to remain operational. The data I will obtain from her will be beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of.." Pressing a series of buttons on his wrist-watch, Doctor Lope was able to see a number of microscopic drones, covering Tamega's body and each one occasionally self-replicating. He was able to see her enter her ship, where the drones continued spreading and bugging every inch of its interior, giving him the ability to hear and see everything inside.

Upon scaling the ramp, Tamega pressed a button on the wall to raise it and seal the ship. All at once, she fell apart, slumping against the wall and curling up against its cold, metal surface. No tears came, no whimpering, she merely sat there, coiled around herself as she tried to shield herself from the overwhelming pain.

She had lost. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Journal entry #1
> 
> Through studying Tamega's transformations, I have come to the conclusion that a number of the changes she undergoes are unique to her specific hybridization of Saiyan and Gyuuman heritage. The monstrous transformation she underwent during the battle with the Saiyans was an unfortunate side-effect of this unique dual-heritage. After careful examination of her Gyuuman cells, I've discovered they are capable of rapid and extreme cellular regeneration, to the point they will consume her energy to prevent her from dying. During the fight, for all intents and purposes, Tamega did experience biological death, but her Gyuuman cells activated, going into overdrive to bring her back to life.  
> Yet, they did not stop there, they affected her mind, her brain reacting like a wild beast fighting desperately to survive, running solely on the animalistic instinct guiding her every action until the threat was dealt with. Once the immediate threat had been neutralized, the strain on her body expelled every last ounce of her energy, rendering her unconscious.  
> Such an action will have long-term consequences... Which is why I've taken to monitoring her so closely from here on out. I will be certain to document my findings where necessary, both in the interests of the advancement of science.. And the safety of the Galaxy. If Tamega cannot control her power, she may need to be put down.
> 
> Honored Guest of the Galactic Patrol  
> Doctor Lope


	43. The Hermit

Age 751

  
Three months had passed, and little had changed. Tamega spent her days drifting through space, her ship on an automatic course aimlessly wandering the stars as she sat lost in despair.

The few times she split, Kreema became frantic, crying and screaming in agony until Tamegi fused with her again. Every time, Tamega felt her soul splitting more, the growing pain in her heart slowly consuming her.

Her endless stream of sorrow was only interrupted by a flashing light from the main terminal of the ship. Upon investigating, a warning began to display, "FUEL APPROACHING TEN PERCENT. RECOMMENDATION: APPROACH NEAREST PLANETARY BODY, AWAIT REINFORCEMENTS."

'Another reminder that this ship belonged to a Saiyan. Couldn't those Galactic Patrol jerks have removed that..?' She flipped a switch, allowing the ship to pilot itself to the nearest world with a breathable atmosphere, and slumped annoyed against the wall, staring at the floor as she tried to block out the unstemmed tide of agonizing thoughts.

A day passed in what felt like minutes to her, as the ship began descending into the atmosphere of an unknown world. The thought occurred to her that she wasn't sure how long it had been since she left the confines of the ship, groaning and pulling herself off the ground to leave her metal cave of isolation.

Exiting the ship and wandering for several minutes, she was able to spot a stream of smoke raising high into the air, far beyond a row of trees. She started sprinting toward it, but found herself out of breath within a few short minutes, another reminder of how low she had sunken.

She began her dejected walk of shame toward the source of the smoke, until she exited the trees and discovered a quaint wooden cabin with a chimney billowing a steady trail of smoke, and various farming tools strewn across the yard and field. It seemed that whoever was living here had been sustaining themself for sometime.

From behind her, a booming voice announced themselves. "What are you doing here?"

Tamega nearly fell over in surprise, being unable to sense energy allowing the stranger to sneak up on her. Turning and facing the stranger, she was met with the gruff and grizzled face of a Saiyan, his hair the common jet-black of most pureblood Saiyans, with a short, scruffy beard coating his cheeks, chin, and upper lip. He carried a stack of logs hoisted over one shoulder, though they looked more like plain trees torn from the ground, root and all.

"I'll ask again, what are you doing here?" His brow strained, and Tamega realized she had not spoken in nearly a minute.

"S-Sorry, my ship is out of fuel and I had to land here.."

The stranger offered a grunt, before walking toward her. Tamega tensed, until he walked past her, ignoring her as he dropped the trees in a pile, resounding with a loud crash.

"So why are you *here*? On my farm?"

Tamega was unsure of how to respond. "I saw the smoke from my ship and thought there might be people living here."

The stranger offered another grunt, not looking at her as he spoke, kneeling down tying a crude rope around the logs to keep them steady. "No people, just an old hound tired of people."

Closing his eyes and groaning, he stood up and looked at Tamega. "I can see where this is going. I can help you make fuel for your ship if it will get you to leave."

His harsh honesty was both reassuring to her, and insulting. The first social interaction she'd had in months, and he was a hermit. Worse, just her luck that on the nearest planet in a thousand light-years, it had to be the one with a Saiyan.

"What's your name, kid?" 

She blinked, snapping herself back to reality. "Tamega."

The man grunted. "A Saiyan name, or sounds like it anyway. You a Saiyan, kid?"

Tamega winced, tensing her entire body. As if on instinct, her heart began to quicken with frustration. 

"Guess that's a touchy subject for you, forget I said anything. Name's Keel, this is my farm. Replace anything you eat, fix anything you break, and we won't have any problems."

Despite his cold and reserved demeanor, Tamega found that he was comparitively more considerate than any Saiyan she had met before. Surprising even herself, it left her with a desire to know more.

"My father was a Saiyan."

Keel listened, his hands now busy working with some sort of cutting tool as he chiseled at a piece of lumber. "That supposed to mean something to me?"

Tamega sighed, crossing her arms with discomfort at the idea of discussing her heritage. "S-Sorry.. Every Saiyan I've met before now has tried to kill me, so this is.. Somewhat awkward for me."

Keel snerked. "Including your father?"

Nodding reluctantly, Tamega inhaled, trying to breathe and remain calm. 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Keel sighed. "Well, sorry to break it to you kid, but you'll have to find your father figure somewhere else."

"W-.. That's not what I.." Tamega groaned, taking a breath to steady herself and staring at the ground, trying to find the right words. "All I know of the Saiyans is pain, pain they've caused to me and others. Everything I know about the Saiyans says they were monsters, and I don't want to be a monster so I shut that side of me out. But if you can tell me more about the Saiyans.. Maybe I can find a way not to.. Hate myself.."

Keel stopped chiseling, dropping the tool and walking toward Tamega. "You want to know more about the Saiyans?" He rested an arm on her shoulder, and stared her in the eyes. Tamega swallowed hard, and nodded slowly.

"They killed entire planets and sold them to the highest bidder. They killed their own children for being too weak, and they killed their own children for being too strong. They killed each other over who would get the biggest share of a sale. They were monsters. Maybe, that hate you have for yourself is the price of their sin. Of our sin."

He let go of her shoulder, and returned to the pile of lumber, chiseling away as Tamega stood frozen, stricken with guilt and dread simply for having ever been born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keel - English: Leek


	44. The Help

A shriek rang out through the night air, rousing Keel from his sleep. Crawling from his bed to investigate, he heard another scream, and what sounded like a woman crying.

Exiting his bedroom into the sitting room of the cabin, Keel heard another voice in the darkness, whispering to the woman and trying to ease her cries of agony. A floorboard creaked under Keel's weight, and there was a flash of light, both figures vanishing in the dark.

"Show yourself." Keel raised an arm and readied an energy blast, not taking any chances with the strangers.

Tamega raised her hands quickly, trying to calm him. "It's just me."

"There was another person here. A crying woman." Keel furrowed his brow as he crossed his arms, his palm still glowing to illuminate the room and keeping Tamega visible.

She didn't feel comfortable explaining, but she felt guilty lying. "It's just me, no one else here. I'm sorry that I woke you."

Keel squinted at Tamega, locking his eyes on her with a suspicious glare. "Just keep it down. I get up early and I like enjoying some semblance of sleep."

Tamega nodded, lowering her head out of respect, as Keel returned to his room. Tamega took a seat on the soft, wide chair that acted as her bed for the time being. Clutching her hair and exhaling through her nostrils, she tried to bury the stress and pain still lingering from Kreema's outburst.

The hours passed by her like minutes, the sun slowly creeping into the cabin as Keel made his way out of his room. He passed Tamega without saying a word, walking toward the kitchen and preparing some food. A few moments later, he placed a plate on the table in front of Tamega's make-shift sleeping arrangement, a meal of roasted vegetables and artificial meat, the same meal as the past five days.

Not one to pass up a free meal, no matter how repetitive, she thanked him and eagerly began scarfing it down. If nothing else, food was one of the few things she still had the privilege of enjoying.

"You've been here a week now, and to my surprise you haven't been a waste of food or space." Keel sipped on a mug of hot brown liquid, the same drink he consumed every morning before beginning his farm-work. Tamega looked up with a mouthful of food, swallowing before speaking. "Um.. Thank you, I think..?"

Keel nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "You've been a great help, so if it's training you want, I'll teach you what I can."

Tamega was somewhat surprised by this offer. "I.. Thought you didn't like fighting?" Keel took the last swig of his drink, moving to the kitchen and setting it in the sink as he spoke. "I don't. We aren't fighting, I'm teaching and you're learning."

"I've never had a Saiyan teacher, I suppose it could be helpful." Tamega nodded, as Keel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said your father was a Saiyan? He never taught you how to fight?" 

Tamega crossed her arms and turned away. "He didn't teach me so much how to fight as much as how to defend myself, in a way I guess."

Keel shrugged, opening the door of the cabin and holding it open for her, a gesture she found somewhat odd as she followed him outside.

Walking to the center of the yard, Keel held his arms behind his back and stared at Tamega, who stood a few meters away. "Now, show me your energy."

Flinching, Tamega stared at the ground with shame. "I.. Can't."

Keel crossed his arms, somewhat annoyed. "What do you mean you can't? What Saiyan can't use their energy?"

Staring at him and wincing, Tamega wanted to flee rather than relive the experience of fighting Daizi. "Something.. Happened to me while I was fighting another Saiyan. Since then I haven't been able to use my energy at all, it's like it's just.. Gone."

Closing his eyes and exhaling, Keel pondered the next course of action. "Not sure what to say to that. Then for now, show me your fighting stance."

Tamega bent her knees and held both arms crossed in front of her, with her palms facing him. Keel found the stance curious, but responded by inhaling and slamming a heavy foot forward in front of himself, with one hand raised and curved over his head, another lowered and curved opposite underneath his stomach.

"I'm going to come at you, and I want you to respond in kind. I will not strike hard, but I will attempt to hit you. Contact with the face and torso is a 'hit'. First to three hits 'wins', understood?"

Tamega braced herself and nodded, as Keel rushed forward, delivering a rapid series of swipes and jabs. She did her best to block them, but his speed was more than she could handle, unable to react quickly enough to counter or reciprocate a single strike.

Within ten seconds, Keel had delivered a light bump to her head, shoulder, and stomach. "Hm." Breaking his stance and standing up straight, he seemed somewhat unimpressed. "I think I see what the issue is."

Tamega put her hands on her hips as she exhaled through her nostrils, listening carefully. "Seems to me like you've relied up until now on enhancing your speed and agility with your own energy, and your energy mostly comes from natural-born talent. Without it, you don't even know how to move properly."

Clenching her fists, Tamega wanted to scream. "So then, what? I'm just never going to be able to fight ever again?" Sensing her growing frustration, Keel attempted to calm her. "I'm saying you need to train your body. You've relied on your energy too much up until now, and without it your body is too weak to fight. Focus on strengthening your body."

Tamega growled with frustration. "Okay, how?"

Keel walked over to a pile of logs, chucking one at her with a single massive arm, which she only barely managed to catch as she strained under the weight. "Take this to the top of that hill." He motioned across the yard, where a sprawling field ended with a tall hill overlooking the farm.

Tamega was dumbfounded. "How am I supposed to carry this all the way up there?" Keel rolled his eyes, stacking a pile of six logs over an arm. "The same as I do. Use your muscles." He began marching up the hill, seemingly without any effort as Tamega struggled to keep up with him.

There, at the top of the hill, Keel set the logs down carefully so that they wouldn't roll back down the hill, taking one and slamming it into the dirt. Tamega watched him, setting her log carefully in the pile.

"I've been wanting to build an addition to the farm that uses the blowing wind to grind up the plants I harvest, to use for cooking. With your help I might be able to finally finish it."

Tamega looked out across the valley as she listened to Keel, an uneasy doubt swelling in her.


	45. The Hurt

Every morning, Tamega awoke to the feeling of her muscles screaming. Soreness was just a way of life at this point, if anything it took her mind off of her fractured psyche, that and Keel's cooking.

Keel was a stern, but reasonable teacher. He never let her slack or cut corners, but he wasn't cruel. It was hard for Tamega to read him, but it was as if he was a boulder, finely shaven by the elements and unwavering.

Every night the two would harvest logs from the near by forest, stacking them at the base of the hill, and in the morning they would carry them to the top. Tamega graduated to two logs per trip after the first week, perhaps owing to her Saiyan biology allowing her rapid progress.

Yet even as she felt her strength returning to her body, her energy remained 'locked', for lack of a better term. She still felt unsatisfied, and anxious that her energy would never return to her.

On a particularly sweltering day on the otherwise temperate planet, Tamega, who had been carrying four logs up the hill, felt a pain in her shoulder. Keel noticed her slowing down behind him, but said nothing, and she tried to ignore it.

Just as they reached the top of the hill, Tamega let out a loud, sharp gasp, dropping her logs as the pain in her shoulder intensified. Keel watched, irritated as the logs rolled back down the hill. 

Tamega stood clutching her shoulder and hissing in pain, trying to breath to calm herself. Keel finally inquired, "So are you gonna go get your logs, or are you done for the day?"

Collapsing to her knees, Tamega began to cry. "I-It hurts.. I.. I can't.."

Sighing with irritation, Keel rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe this was a mistake, I should've known it'd be too much for you. Go back to the cabin and rest."

Ashamed of her defeat, Tamega clutched her shoulder tight and rose to her feet, slinking back toward the cabin as tears trickled down her face. When she got to the cabin, she slammed the door and slumped against the wall curled into a ball, crying uncontrollably into her arms.

When night finally fell, Keel returned to the cabin, finding it empty and no trace of Tamega. Wandering back outside, he spotted her in the distance, walking toward the direction she had originally come from when she first arrived.

Breaking into a light jog, Keel called out to her. "Where are you going?"

Tamega stopped in her tracks, frozen with dread and guilt. "I'm leaving."

Keel sighed and tried his best to reassure her, placing a hand on her arm. "C'mon, it's not that big of a deal. I didn't realize I was pushing you too fa-"

A hand swiped at his, knocking his grip off of her as she continued walking without another word. "Really? I thought you were determined to get stronger, you're gonna give up after a sprained shoulder?"

Tamega turned, her eyes flashing white. "IT'S NOT JUST MY SHOULDER!"

Keel flinched, visibly surprised by the outburst. "I'm tired of making mistakes, I'm tired of feeling useless, I'm tired of feeling BROKEN! When am I going to feel like ME again?! When is the hurt going to STOP?!"

Unsure of how to respond, Keel tried to reach out with a hand, only for Tamega to scream in rage, a burst of sonic energy erupting from her mouth as she punched him in the gut, overwhelmed by her own anger.

In that instant, she realized what she had done, as she spotted Keel, now several meters away coughing up spit and picking himself up off the ground. In that moment, she was Tamegi, back on Planet Vegeta running from her father.

And all she could do now, once again, was run.

Keel called out to her, wanting only to help, but his cries fell on deaf ears, watching her sprint toward her ship and take off. It all happened so fast, and all Keel could do was slam his foot into the trunk of a tree in frustration, watching it explode into splinters of wood as he slowly started back toward the cabin.

He hated to admit it, but for the short time he was training her, he at least enjoyed the company of another living thing.

~~\--------------------~~

  
  
Planet Pizzo - Galactic Prison "Minimum" Security Prison

The lights of the room turned on automatically as they did every morning, and Daizi's mind snapped to attention. She never slept in her prison cell of steel and healing fluid, her eyes always awake, trying to find some means of escape, and something to kill.

Daizi's eyes followed the scientist as he entered the room, locked on him as the only living thing in her range of vision. "Good morning Number Twenty-one! I hope we're in good spirits today, that is, as good of spirits as you can be in your situation."

A rumbling filled the room, one that her handler jovially interpreted as an agreement. "Just the usual morning routine, breakfast, some quick bloodwork, and then I'll be out of your hair!"

Watching the tiny creature smiling as it hobbled about the laboratory infuriated her, her mind screaming to grab him and crumple him into a ball. A needle pierced her skin from inside the machine holding her restrained, causing her to snarl and snap her teeth, trying to wrench free as she struggled in vain, her hair flashing bright lime-green before the restraints began sapping her of her power. The needle flooded her with nutrients, keeping her healthy and "fed".

An explosion rattled her cage and knocked the handler on his back, causing him to curse out loud as he scrambled to his feet. "No no no, not again..!" Rushing to the door, he tried to activate the console on the wall to seal the room, but in his panic he missed a button press, the sliding door opening and revealing an escaped convict, holding a blaster in his right hand.

"Prison break, doc. You know the drill." Holding the weapon to his head, the doctor trembled and tried to plead with the escaped convict.

"W-While I respect your right to a-attempt escape and c-can even admire the c-creativity, I must insist you do n-not release-"

The weapon fired, blasting Daizi's pod and causing it to hiss and malfunction, fluid erupting in every direction as steam flooded the room. The sound of shredding metal resonated around the doctor and the escaped prisoner, both backing away slowly as a shadow illuminated by green energy rose out of the destroyed containment pod.

" _You absolute moron... You've killed everyone in this prison-_ " His whimpering was cut short as the prisoner called out to the freed monster. "Ey, we're getting out of this dump! Want a ride?"

A hand rushed outward, snapping around his skull and pulling him into the obscured fog. **"YES."** The doctor could hear a sickening crunch as the body of the convict slumped to the floor.  
Cackling filled the halls of the prison, as the doctor screamed out in terror at the green energy expanding in all directions, the facility vanishing in a vibrant explosion of light.


	46. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camola - Spanish: Guacamole  
> Jala - Spanish: Jalapeno

Age 751

"The ship was hailing on a Galactic Patrol frequency, but it the logs show it doesn't look like any previously reported Patrol ship model on record." The Saiyan brushed his hair behind his ears, his tail flicking in response to his curiosity.

"Not only that, it is strange for it to be out this far. Perhaps it was stolen? Or maybe a Frieza Force vessel pretending to be with the Galactic Patrol to lure in gullible travelers?" Another Saiyan male tapped away at the computer console, their vessel trudging along over the surface of the planet, until they came across what they were searching for.

A circular vessel, obviously of Frieza Force origin yet retrofitted with staple Galactic Patrol design elements and components, lay crashed in the open field. "Borderworld Monitoring spotted it about two days ago, but it could have been here longer. Be ready for anything."

The two Saiyans lifted helmets from the wall just before the exit of their own vessel, lowering them onto their heads as they vaccuum-sealed around their necks. Exiting their ship, they stood outside the outworlder's ship and readied beams of energy from their hands, peeling away at the sealed entrance with super-focused lasers of ki. 

The metal slowly warped and bent under the heat, creating a hole large enough allowing the Saiyans to enter. Draping their tails up and over their shoulders, they both held a sphere of focused ki in their palms, illuminating the dark corridors. 

Just in front of the ship's main computer terminal, the Saiyans spotted two figures, one slumped against the wall and the other sprawled out on the floor. "Call it in, we've got two bodies, status unknown but be prepped and ready to go with a couple medi-pods."

The first Saiyan nodded, quickly rushing outside and speaking into his communicator. The remaining Saiyan looked over the first body, a female with scruffy hair and a familiar tail. "That.. That shouldn't be possible.." Her pulse was faint, and he tried his best to rouse her from slumber, tapping her cheeks to try and wake her. "C'mon, don't die on me kid." Watching her mumble and lift her arms meekly was enough for him to be sure she would last long enough, moving to the other body to check on it. 

Finding another female with longer, messier hair, but missing any indication of a tail, he took her pulse and found it was healthier, seemingly implying she was simply sleeping. Gently he shook her shoulder, trying to wake her like the other female. "Time to wake up, you're safe now."

Kreema gradually opened her eyes, her pupils focusing as pain overwhelmed her body. It felt as if every cell in her body were starved of oxygen, screaming and on fire. She began to cry uncontrollably, holding herself tight as she let loose an ear-piercing scream.

The Saiyan nearly stumbled backwards, quickly reaching forward placing a hand up under her hair at the base of her neck, flooding her body with a soothing energy that caused her to fall back asleep. "Y-Yamosh.. That was insane.." Calling out to his partner, he shouted for an update. "Anything yet? One of them is alright, but the other isn't gonna last long!"

"Medi-crew is on it's way, ETA twelve minutes." His partner ducked and re-entered through the hole in the ship, the both of them surveying the internal damage while they waited. Several structural support-beams from the floor to the ceiling had been warped and bent, along with various life-support systems and various mechanical bits, seemingly ripped to shreds by some sort of explosion. "Geez, I can't imagine what these kids have been through.."

~~\--------------------~~

The sound of a curtain being opened and the assault of sunlight as it flooded the room stirred Tamegi from what felt like a century of sluggish sleep. Meekly lifting her hand to shield her eyes, the sound of footsteps came closer, until she could make out a figure hovering above.

"Oh goodness, you're finally awake! The other healers thought you may never wake up, but I knew all you needed was some attentive care and a good few days rest!" 

Tamegi's eyes winced, her vision blurry as she tried to make out the source of the voice. Squinting as best as she could without becoming dizzy, she could see the figure of a woman, with long, wild black hair running down her shoulders and back. She wore casual, comfortable peach-colored clothing, with a tied shirt draped over her chest and shoulders. It was then that Tamegi noticed a tail, draped over her left shoulder and flicking occasionally.

Crawling backwards and sliding out of the bed with a hard thud, she scrambled onto her feet, hoisting what looked to be some sort of lamp and holding it in front of her as a makeshift weapon. "STAY BACK! WHERE IS MY SISTER?!"

The Saiyan looked concerned, her brow furrowed with worry. "She is meditating, but we can tell her you are awake. Please, calm yourself, tell me what is wrong?"

Stuttering and trembling with fear Tamegi did her best to formulate a reply. "Y-You're... You.. S-Saiyans.. H-How many of you are here?!"

Somewhat confused by the response, she moved to a sink at the far side of the room, filling it with a cup of water for herself, and second cup for her patient. "How about we take things slow?" Lifting the lid from a cylindrical urn, she took out several discs that seemed to resemble food, which she offered to Tamegi. "Try some, you must be hungry after several days asleep."

Instinctively wanting to bat the offering of food away, she merely pulled away again, curling up in the corner with her eyes locked on the Saiyan. "My baking is the one skill I have no doubts in, trust me, they're delicious." Taking a bite of one of the discs, she smiled and tried to offer one again, which Tamegi cautiously reached out to take, snatching it and returning curled up in her corner.

"How about we start with names, do you have a name sweetie? You can call me Jala." After taking a bite and finding it pleasantly surprisingly _not_ poisoned, she savagely tore apart the delicious baked good, speaking with her mouth full. "T-Tamegi.."

Jala took a seat on the floor not far from Tamegi, enough space between them that Tamegi wouldn't feel trapped. "We've remained hidden for a long time by monitoring the worlds surrounding ours. Our monitoring array spotted your ship crashed on one of the bordering planets, and thought you might be dangerous, but your sister explained everything to us." 

"S-She's awake? No, NO! I have to see her! She-" Jala raised a hand, trying to quiet her doubts. "Your sister was experiencing a Ki Fracturing. Her spirit was damaged, splintered by pain and stress. You and your sister are not fully Saiyan, and from what we could gather, your other half cannot live without Ki. One half of her was clinging to life, while the other was dying. For her, it was like being starved of oxygen, yet cursed to remain alive, indefinitely. If the two of you did not have access to your combined form, as she has described, I'm not sure she would have survived much longer."

"But then.. Is she going to be alright..?" Tamegi's eyes watered, and Jala reached out with a hand, which Tamegi hesitantly accepted. Jala gripped her hand tight, smiling warmly. "It was difficult, we had to call in a number of healers and scientists to diagnose what was happening to her. But, she's been recovering, and after only a couple of days she's almost back to full strength."

Tamegi lowered her head, trying to recall everything that had happened. The last thing she could remember was unfusing and trying to get Kreema to tell her what was wrong. "How long was I out?"

"Borderworld Monitoring spotted your ship a few hours after it had crashed, and we managed to get to it two days later. Since then, you've slept for about six days, not counting the two days in your ship." Jala slowly stood on her bare feet, moving toward the window. "Your sister is safe, you are safe, and your ship is being looked at by our engineers. There are some basic rules you'll need to follow, but you are free to explore as you please." Jala beckoned for Tamegi to join her at the window, and she crawled off of the floor to join her.

Outside the window, Tamegi was able to see Kreema, meditating in what looked to be a circular garden with dozens of plants flowering all around her. Her eyes wandered, taking in the sights of the alien world. As far as her eyes could see in the distance, there were homes made out of some sort of clay material, each with a circular garden of their own. Great spiraling towers of clay and stone rose into the sky, and hundreds, maybe thousands of Saiyans filled the streets and sky, talking, laughing, playing, it was nothing like Tamegi had ever seen.

"On Planet Camola, we live in harmony with nature and science. I can assure you, right now you are in quite possibly the safest place in the universe." 


	47. Yamosh

After only two days awake on Planet Camola, Tamegi and Kreema felt like everything they knew was a lie, in the best way possible. The Saiyans of Camola were like none they had met before, barely resembling them at all beyond physical appearances. It was a comforting change of pace, after their countless run-ins with Saiyans that wanted nothing more than to fight them at best, or kill them at worst.

A dust of wind kicked up as a massive creature landed a few yards away."Yo! Kreema!" Her concentration broken, Kreema nearly fell on her back as she rose from the ground to greet the source of the voice. A male Saiyan descended from the feathered back of the creature, which tried to peck at his head with an avian beak as he moved toward Kreema. "Yamosh, Apeno." Kreema spoke with an almost smug smirk, as the Saiyan chuckled to himself and offered a polite bow. "Yamosh, Kreema."

Tamegi, who had been sitting observing Kreema nearby, broke up the interaction with a casual groan. "You keep saying that, but you won't say what it means." The Saiyan, Apeno, seemed puzzled by her question.

"It's.. Complicated, ya know? When greeting someone, it's polite to begin with Yamosh. When saying goodbye, you part with Yamosh. If something surprises you, Yamosh is the first thing to come to mind. If you stub your toe, Yamosh."

Tamegi groaned again. "That doesn't make any seeeense.." Kreema moved to her sister's side, playfully bumping her shoulder. "It is meant to be a show of good manners, so I understand why you would have such difficulty with it."  
Snerking out loud, Tamegi was unable to bring herself to retort. For now she was just happy to have her sister back.

Apeno coughed nervously, having almost forgotten the reason he was there. "I have an important message from the Council of Seven." Holding out a sealed letter, Kreema accepted it and opened it, Tamegi and Apeno listening with baited breath as she began to read.

"The Saiyan offworlders, Tamegi and Kreema, are to travel to the base of Mount Cowata and await further instructions."

Apeno's eyes went wide with excitement. "Kreema, do you know what this means?! You've been summoned by the Guardian!"

Kreema and Tamegi both looked at each other with confusion, before looking to Apeno, each raising an eyebrow as they spoke in unison. "Guardian..?"

"The Guardian of Planet Camola! He is the oldest and wisest Saiyan on the entire planet, but he rarely interacts with us except when necessary. If he wants to meet with you, perhaps that means he wants to train you!"

Tamegi rubbed her neck awkwardly, looking at Kreema. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean.." Kreema, quick to assuage her fears, nodded with a smile. "Even though my ki has not returned to me, I am better now. Even if we merge again, I doubt we will have another outburst."

Lowering her head, she sighed. "Alright, if you think it's a good idea, that's good enough for me." Kreema smiled, while Tamegi could only offer a meek, worried grin.

Travelling just outside the edge of the city, the twins stood awkwardly, waiting for something to happen. None of the other Saiyans were present or visible, and beyond some clouds obscuring the sun, nothing seemed to be happening.

Tamegi shrugged, mumbling to herself. "Maybe it's a prank..?" The twins stared up at the seemingly infinite mountain, unsure of how to proceed.

Just as they considered returning to the city for more detailed instructions, the sky opened up overhead, pierced by a ray of light that touched the ground in front of them. The grass parted from the force of the beam, until it vanished as quickly as it came.

At the center of the circle of scorched earth, a figure stood looming over Tamegi and Kreema. Staring up, they were greeted with the stern expression of a Saiyan male. Kreema recognized the familiar blue and white robes, uncoincidentally reminiscent of the attire adorned by the Guardian of Planet Gyuu. The man had a full beard and mustache, and prickly black hair that flowed upwards in the wind. Wielding a cane above his head, he slowly brought the base of it to the ground.

"You are the Saiyans of Planet Vegeta, correct?" He spoke with a frighteningly commanding tone of voice, as if he would not ask a second time. Kreema was unsure of how to respond, leading Tamegi to speak first. "Our father was from Planet Vegeta, but my sister and I are from Planet Gyuu."

Closing his eyes, his mustache rolled slightly as he grumbled to himself, clenching his gnarled cane tight. "I cannot discern this as truth or lie, but I sense no malicious intent in either of you. Regardless, as is our law, you cannot stay for longer than one month."

His words worried Kreema, but nearly sent Tamegi into a rage. After what she had seen, she had no intention of leaving. "What?! Why?! That's the stupidest-"

The Guardian crashed his cane against the ground, surprising her into silence. "On this Planet, we follow the Way of the Saiyajin. All the actions we make in our direct surroundings have an impact that ripples outward into the entirety of creation. My people learn self-defense, but we do not fight. Not to dominate, not to compete, not to control. Unless you dedicate yourself to a life of pacifism, you cannot stay."

Kreema, ever the diplomatic of the pair, stepped forward. "My sister and I have been here for about a week, but have both only been unconscious until two days ago. Can we expect that those two days will be the start of our month? I think I speak for both of us that we would like to learn everything we can from you and your people, before we decide to stay or go. One way or the other, it would be significantly enlightening for us."

Without skipping a beat, the Guardian nodded. "This is acceptable. You may stay for twenty-eight days, then you must leave, and you may not return for one year." Kreema nodded and beamed with excitement. "Yamosh, my name is Kreema, and my sister is named Tamegi."

The Guardian, amused by this gesture of greeting, smiled softly under his mustache. "Yamosh, I am called Tamal. You and your sister are welcome guests, a rare treat we have not had the privilege of hosting in many years." In an instant, Tamal vanished before their eyes, leaving nothing more than a circle of burnt grass and dirt.

Crashing her fists together and cracking her neck, Tamegi smirked to Kreema. "So, what's first? We've got less than a month and I intend to make the most of it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cowata - Nahuatl: Coatepec  
> Tamal - Nahuatl: Tamalli  
> Apeno - Spanish: Jalapeno


	48. Balance

Wobbling on one foot, Tamegi clenched her teeth and grunted as she held her breath, trying desperately to remain upright. She and the other students had their feet tied to their opposite leg, forcing them to remain standing on one foot to maintain balance, and while Kreema had little to no trouble with the exercise in centering, Tamegi was ready to scream.

Crying out as she stumbled forward, Tamegi landed with her jaw on the ground and a painful thud, the other students nearly falling over themselves in surprise. Tugging off the binding around her foot and leg, Kreema quickly ran to her sister to help.

Whispering softly for only Kreema to hear, Tamegi grumbled as the other students softly snickered at her. "This is stupid.. What good is jumping around on one foot gonna do us..?" With a soft sigh, Kreema pulled her sister from the ground, careful not to undo her binding. "It's about mastering the center of ourselves. Just keep trying, and I promise I'll ask Jala to make that special pudding?"

This encouragement was enough for Tamegi to nearly rocket off the ground herself, inhaling deep and straining with all of her power to maintain her balance.

Despite hours of intense focus and the promise of desserts, by the end of the lesson Tamegi had little to show of her efforts than a number of scuffs and bruises across her jaw and face. Even in failure, Kreema was certain to reassure her, if only to encourage her for giving it her best effort.

While Tamegi ecstatically gorged herself over a freshly cooked meal prepared by Jala and Apeno, Kreema took the opportunity to raise a number of questions still lingering in her mind. "Jala, I have been meaning to ask.. From what I have seen, every Saiyan on Camola has some manner of animal companion. Where do they come from?"

Jala seemed intrigued, and delighted toward Kreema's interest in their culture. "It's a rite of passage, when a Saiyan comes of age, they are given what they need to survive in the Wilds. There, they must stay and survive for as long as it takes for a beast to find and choose them. Some beasts may choose them by helping them to survive, or leading them back to civilization, or by trying to kill them."

Kreema listened, somewhat confused. "That seems... Uncharacteristically brutal."

"It may seem strange, but they're perfectly safe. The wildlife doesn't see us as food, for whatever reason they leave us alone. The curious ones may investigate us, and the aggressive ones may seek to challenge us, but if they knock us unconscious or we run away, they pretty much immediately leave us alone." Making her way back to the table as she spoke, Jala set out several large bowls of yellow pudding.Tamegi immediately set her eyes upon them with a voracious growl, her mouth still full of meat and vegetables.

"There have been a couple of times where a Saiyan surviving in the wilds has been near death, or nearly killed. When that happens, the Guardian always steps in before it's too late. I was out there for nearly a month before my companion first approached me." Apeno took a strip of meat from one of the baskets strewn out on the table, munching casually as he leaned back in his chair.

Kreema turned to Jala once again, puzzled. "But I have not seen your companion, Jala. Is it too large to keep in the city?"

Jala grinned, looking away teasingly. "Ohh, he's around here somewhere." As if on command, something swiped a piece of bread from Tamegi's ravenous hands, before flinging it at her mouth. Catching it in her teeth, Tamegi scanned the room with confusion, before something invisible slapped the bread out of her mouth and began tugging on her ears.

"My companion is a Night-Devil, naughty little tricksters that become invisible when light is shone on them. Useful for reprimanding children that sneak food before dinner." Both Kreema and Jala tried to stifle a giggle as Tamegi stared at them, clearly unamused.

Taking another piece of bread and stuffing it in her mouth before it could be jovially taken from her, Tamegi spoke with her mouth full. "Doeth thuh guardian hab uhn aminal?" Kreema glared at Tamegi, reprimanding her for speaking with her mouth full.

Jala nodded, speaking while fixing a plate of food for herself. "At least once every hundred years, a single Saiyan is chosen by a Nether Drake. If the Guardian is near the end of his life, he will take this Saiyan as a student to train them as the new Guardian. Every Guardian of Planet Camola for the past thousand years as had a Nether Dragon as their companion, assisting them in monitoring the world below."

"The world below?" Kreema seemed puzzled, but Jala continued. "The Guardian watches over the world from a lookout high in the upper atmosphere. The air is too thin, even for the strongest Saiyans, so flying there is nearly impossible. The only way to access it without being ferried there by the Guardian is to scale Exolotl Tower."

Tamegi, satisfied with a full belly, leaned back in her chair as she let loose a content sigh. "Maybe one day, Kreema and I will have to try and climb it. Couldn't be that hard, right?"

Jala, chewing on a bit of food as she stood from the table, beckoned Kreema and Tamegi to the window. Pointing far across the edge of the city, she swallowed before speaking. "See that structure, far in the distance, just at the base of the mountain? That is Exolotl Tower."

The twins peered out the window, and spotted the thin, endless stone pillar rising far into the clouds beyond visibility. "Even Masters of the Saiyajin School have been unable to climb it."

Tamegi was enamored by the vast and intricate design of the tower, but Kreema had other matters weighing on her mind. "Which, on that topic.. Tamegi has had some difficulty mastering Balance."

Nearly falling out of the window, Tamegi pulled herself back inside and stomped a foot. "W-WHAT?! DON'T TELL HER THAT!" Flush red with embarrasment, Tamegi crossed her arms and grit her teeth, while Jala chuckled playfully.

"I suppose there is no trick, or secret to mastering the art of bodily balance, but the best thing you can do is learn to use your tail as a counterweight. See it not as a flimsy appendage you are burdened with, but a third arm, a third hand. It should be an extension of your will, just as your arms are."

Tamegi took these words to heart, and even though she did not fully understand, she found herself dwelling on them long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exolotl - Nahuatl: Uexolotl (Turkey)


	49. Last Supper

In what felt like mere days, nearly a month came and passed as Tamegi and Kreema continued their lessons among the Saiyans of Planet Camola. In a surprisingly short span of time, Tamegi found herself more easily maintaining her balance in training, taking Jala's words of wisdom to heart.

Determined to improve themselves individually, the twins opted not to spend any of their time on Camola merged, rather seeking to improve their own skills independently. While Kreema could still not harness her energy, the peace she had found was enough of a consolation prize.

With only a day remaining before they would need to depart, their ship having long since been collected and repaired by Saiyan engineers, Jala had prepared a quaint feast for Tamegi, Kreema, and Apeno to enjoy, consisting of a spread of meats, vegetables, and Jala's special pudding recipe.

As Tamegi and Kreema eagerly partook of the food, Jala, sipping on a cold beverage, turned to Kreema. "So, do you know where you'll go next, when you leave?"

Kreema pondered this, having not truthfully thought of a new destination. "I suppose perhaps it might be wise to return home. It has been some time since we saw our friends on Gyuu, and I have some questions for the Guardian."

Kreema's words gave Jala and Apeno pause, the latter nearly dropping his food. "..The Guardian of.. Planet Gyuu? Your planet also has a Guardian?" Kreema nodded in response to Jala's question, chewing nonchalantly as she pondered out loud. "It did raise some questions, when we first met your Guardian I recognized he wore the exact same robes. And, in our time on Planet Natto, I believe there was another individual that may have been a Guardian, though he did not wear any robes, perhaps to conceal his title. My theory is that perhaps every world has a Guardian."

Jala smiled, an almost motherly grin beaming with delight toward what one could mistake for her own children. "You are very clever, Kreema. Were you to decide to settle permanently on Camola, you'd make an excellent scholar."

Apeno abruptly spoke up, interrupting the conversation. "Why don't you? I mean.. Why not stay? You already fit in so well, everyone enjoys your company."

Kreema looked to Tamegi, who was hardly paying attention to the conversation as she stuffed her face. "I go where my sister goes, all we have is each other. I would stay, but I do not think she would be happy here."

Apeno seemed upset, biting his tongue and remaining silent. Jala, sensing the growing tension, was relieved to hear the sound of a knock at the door. "One moment!"

As Jala opened the door, a large male Saiyan stood in the frame, staring down at her and offering her a bow. "Yamosh, Jala. My apologies for intruding on your meal, but are the off-worlders here? I'd hoped to have a word with them before they depart tomorrow."

Jala nodded with a smile, and stood aside for him to enter. Ducking his head carefully, his ceremonial robes flowed at his sides as he entered Jala's home. Kreema and Tamegi turned to see the intimidatingly tall Saiyan, who stared down at them with a relaxed expression. The first thing they noted, beneath his scruffy black hair, were a pair of earrings adorning both ears.

"My name is Azote, I am the Grandmaster of the Saiyajin. I've been observing your progress very carefully, and though you have not had enough time to pass the entry classes, I nevertheless wished to give you a parting gift." Lifting his arm under his robes, Azote offered two bronze metal hoops. "These earrings are a traditional mark of the Saiyajin School, all that wear them are regarded as students of the Way of the Saiya. I humbly hope you will accept this gift, and use what you have learned on Planet Camola to extend your reach in a positive light."

Tamegi graciously and excitedly accepted the earring, taking no time in fastening it to her left ear. "Wow, thanks! How does it look, Kreema?" With a melancholy smile, Kreema held the hoop in her hand, before her earring to Tamegi. "Master Azote, I humbly accept this gift, but as a Gyuuman Monk I cannot in good conscience wear it. I ask that my sister, Tamegi, be allowed to keep my earring for safe-keeping."

Puzzled by this request, Master Azote stared for a moment before grinning. "This is more than acceptable. I hope you have learned from us as much as we have had the privilege of learning from you, and I fare you both well in your travels." Tamegi, rarely the fashionable one of the two, began playfully posing and flicking at the earrings as Azote turned to leave, Kreema forcing herself to stifle a giggle.

Jala, Kreema, Tamegi, and Apeno enjoyed their last meal together, certain it would be some time before they would do so again. With the twins set to depart early in the morning, they were awake late into the night, telling stories of their adventures and leaving Jala and Apeno with plenty to remember them by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azote - Nahuatl: Epazote


	50. Stepladder to Heaven

A small shack stood abandoned in the wilderness of Planet Gyuu, forgotten by time many centuries ago. The room resounded with a sharp creak, as a door was opened for the first time in eons, dust fluttering and filling the air as Tamega entered, waving a hand and trying to stifle a cough.

Entering the one room hut, she took a moment to survey the shambled shack. "Now.. If I were a fancy red pole.." Her thoughts were cut short by her own excited realization, staring at an ornate crimson pole hanging above the mantle of the fireplace.

Approaching the mantle, she reached out with one hand and took the staff, grasping it in one hand before running both up and along the otherworldly material. The texture was like metal, but it felt slightly soft, almost like a shock-resistant material that could bend easily if needed.

Though she had still not regained the use of her Ki, Tamega was determined to improve her physical endurance and stamina to make up for it. For months, Tamegi, Kreema, and together as Tamega, the three had been working tirelessly to track down the ancient "Heaven Staff", the task of which was itself a rigorous training session. Between research, investigation, travel, interviewing countless Gyuumans, more travel, meditation and self-reflection, even more travel... Needless to say, Tamega was feeling healthier and more lively than ever.

Now, came the next step. Sprinting at a steady pace toward the Great Monastery and running past it, she returned to the mist-veiled canyon at the edge of the city. Grasping the Heaven Staff tightly, Tamega exhaled, finding a center of calm. "Let's see if this works.."

Her gaze focused with intent, she shouted for the sky to hear, "HEAVEN STAFF, EXTEND!" Swinging the staff in both arms as the command echoed, the pole lengethened several feet, enough that the summoned updraft of wind parted an expansive gap in the hypnotic cloud of mist.

"It worked.. I can reach the tower with this!" Smiling with a determined grin, Tamega rushed forward, shouting for the staff to extend once again as she swung both arms, the mist continuing to part at her command.

Hours of running and shouting and swinging had slowly whittled away at Tamega's fortitude, but her determination remained unwavering. At last, her dedication had paid off, as she spied the shadow of a sprawling tower expanding infinite into the clouds above the mist. One final push, Tamega screamed as she leaped into the air, "Heaven Staff, EXTEND!" Bringing the pole to the ground as she landed, the force of the staff colliding with the ground as it lengethened propelled the mist away, revealing a hidden grove at the base of the tower. 

The untouched garden was beautiful, a carefully tended preservation of nature like Tamega had never seen, finely guided vines and branches growing entangled around the base of the tower and sprawling up it, with flowers and ferns seemingly alien to Planet Gyuu.

"Oh Heavens, I must've dozed off! It's been so long since someone sought out the Guardian Tower." Tamega realized a shadow was casting over her, and spun to see a massive figure towering overhead.

Easily eight feet tall, the figure stood on bulky hooves, wearing a long-flowing kilt that reached their ankles. From the waist up, they were a white-furred creature with powerful, muscular arms. Their face looked like some sort of animal, with a bestial muzzle and floppy furred ears. "Have you come to try and scale the tower? You may just be able to, but it might take you awhile as you are now."

Intimidated, yet off-put by the kind demeanor of the massive creature, Tamega chuckled nervously as she stored her staff in the back of her robe. "Aha, yes actually! I need to find a way to the top, I have reason to believe I can find the Guardian there."

Crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, the creature seemed puzzled. "Oohhh? And what business do you have with the Guardian?"

Tamega smiled, stretching as she spoke. "I want to ask her if she'll train me. I don't know if she can help me fix my energy, but if not I figure she'll at least have something to teach me. My name is Tamega."

The creature leaned over, staring directly in Tamega's face as she curled a finger against her chin in deep thought. "Hummm... Tamega... That does not sound like a Gyuuman name."

Tamega nodded politely, retaining her composure in the face of the creature, expecting them to try and stop her from climbing the tower. "My mother was a Gyuuman, but my father was a Saiyan."

Standing up straight again and clasping her hands together, the creature smiled ecstatically. "Well then! I encourage you to attempt the climb. You may remain here in the garden until you succeed, give up, or fall from the tower and die." Staring down at Tamega with a warm smile that veiled an omonious warning, the creature spoke firmly. "Take any food that you need, and leave the garden as you found it."

Hopping off a muscular hoof and landing on one of the vines, the creature began scaling up the wall with ease, vanishing quickly into the clouds.

Exhaling in preparation for the task in front of her, Tamega slapped her cheeks and leaped onto the vines, wincing in surprise and immediately losing her grip as she realized they were covered in thorns. 

Dropping back to the ground, she held up her hands and noticed a number of marks across her skin. Clenching her fists and shaking it off, she attempted once again to leap onto the vines, being careful not to grip down on the thorny parts. 

Though she had been climbing for some time, Tamega felt she was making almost no progress as she gazed up at the still endless tower obscured beyond the clouds. A thought occured to her, retrieving the Heaven Staff from her robe and wedging it into one of the vines.

Leaping onto the end and holding on tight, Tamega shouted, "Extend!" At her command, the staff lengthened, with her on the end of it, the pole wobbling as it went and drooping slightly. Bouncing up and down on the pole far out from the tower, it began to bounce higher and higher, Tamega using the momentum and elasticity of the pole to rise until it brought her back to the tower, now much higher than before.

Finding her footing on a vine and retrieving the staff from where it was wedged much further below with a hard tug, it retracted into her hand as she gazed up at the tower again, still seemingly no closer than before. "This might take awhile.."


	51. The Gates of Heaven

The air grew thin around Tamega, her eyes watering from the colder temperature as she climbed higher and higher. She could no longer see how close she was, her eyes now burning too much to gaze past a few feet in front of her face.

She wanted to stop, only for a moment to catch her breath, but her body was screaming at her to keep going as if stopping would mean death. She was running on fumes, instinct, and desperation as she kept climbing, certain she was nearly there.

It was beyond her how long she had been climbing for, and it didn't matter, as long as she reached the top.

She realized as she was climbing that the vines were starting to coil in another direction, outward away from the tower. Climbing up and over them and clinging to the stone of the tower itself, she kept going, clenching tight onto the tower's frame with frozen fingers.

At last she realized there was nothing further to climb, as something above her blocked her from continuing. Wincing and blinking away the tears, she spotted the vines coiling into a hole in the 'ceiling' of the tower.  
Inhaling and taking a leap of faith, she jumped toward the vines and held on for dear life, even as the thorns pricked her fingers and limbs. Hissing, she scaled the vines quickly and pulled herself inside the hole, flipping up and over onto the stone floor and gasping for air as she tried to recover from the arduous ordeal.

"Goodness! It's been nearly two days, I thought perhaps you'd given up, or fallen." Straining just to open her eyes, she looked upside down at the white-furred bipedal creature she had encountered in the garden at the base of the tower, beyond exhaustion and unable to respond as the creature spoke down at her.

"Here, try this." Holding out a massive hand, the creature offered something tiny and green, which Tamega took and stuffed into her mouth. Energy surged in her body, the breath returning to her lungs as she sat up and gasped, staring at her hands that were onced covered in prickled bruises and marks and finding them smooth and untouched. "H-How did.."

"It's the job of Familiars to tend a Senzu Garden, the seeds of which are capable of healing all wounds and curbing hunger for several days." Picking herself up and rising to her feet, Tamega smiled and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, do you have a name?"

Snorting and giggling, the creature playfully waved a hand. "Goodness me, I didn't even tell you my name when I met you at the bottom of the tower! I am called Kobushi."

"Does the Guardian live here, Kobushi?" Tamega's eyes wandered with curiosity, peering around the room for any sign that this was the Guardian's home.

"I'm afraid not, this is my humble home. If you want to meet the Guardian, you'll need to prove to me that you're worth her time." Kobushi pointed to a fountain at the center of the room, where a statue of a serpentine creature trickled water from its mouth ceaselessly. "The first step is to purify yourself, you can't be unclean if you are to meet the Guardian!"

Tamega peered over herself, taking a sniff of her robes. "I don't smell _that_ bad, do I?" Kobushi snickered, "I don't just mean cleanliness of the body, dear child. I also mean purity of the soul. The fountain will purify body and soul before you meet the Guardian."

Wandering over to the fountain as Kobushi observed, Tamega moved to put her hands underneath the trickling water, only for something to strike the back of her head. "O-Ow! Hey..!"

Kobushi snorted a puff of steam from both nostrils in irritation, grasping a wooden utensil tightly. "Have the Gyuumans truly forgotten the ritual of purification? You do not simply stick your dirty hands in the purified water!" She waved and pointed the utensil at another sitting on top of the fountain. "You take the ladle, and fill it from the fountain."

Tamega winced as she rubbed the back of her head, staring at Kobushi as she tried to reach for the remaining ladle, only for it to vanish before her eyes. "W-What?"

Now holding both ladles, Kobushi stared and remained quietly, curious to see what Tamega would do. She slowly approached Kobushi, and tried to reach out gently to take it, but Kobushi slowly pulled it away, in sync with her motions as she kept it away from Tamega's hand.

Tamega tried to swipe at the ladle, only for Kobushi to slap her hand away and slowly begin walking toward the fountain again, her back turned with both ladles held against the fabric of her clothes.

Running and trying to grab both or either of the ladles with a swiping motion of both hands, Tamega blinked, and in an instant, Kobushi's hoof was on her head, the massive weight forcing her to the ground. "If you wish to meet the Guardian, you must take a ladle and purify yourself."

Kobushi hopped off of her head and onto the floor, her hooves clacking against the stone as Tamega slowly stood up, exhaling and walking calmly but determined toward the Familiar.

Again and again, Tamega tried to take the ladle, only for her hands to be blocked and knocked away each and every time. The game continued for hours, Tamega's brow heavy with sweat as she tried to search for an opening in Kobushi's technique.

Finally, with a well-placed rising-knee, Tamega managed to knock one of the ladles from Kobushi's hand, grasping the wooden utensil tight with a grin, only for Kobushi to grip onto the end of the ladle with one hand and yank hard, the force of which hoisted Tamega off of the ground and into the air. Kobushi flung Tamega hard against a wall, though she managed to land on her feet, gripping tight against a stone frame for traction.

With a grimace, Tamega launched off of the wall at Kobushi, reaching into her robe and shouting, "EXTEND!"

The Heaven Staff lengthened as she retrieved it with both hands, the pole landing just in front of Kobushi as Tamega rotated and lifted the staff, bringing it back down on the center of the ladle's cup.

Spinning and swiping the staff under Kobushi's legs, the Familiar stumbled and fell to the floor with a heavy thud, as Tamega's staff shortened and brought the ladle back to her.

Kobushi chuckled softly as she picked herself up off the floor. "That was quite something, Tamega. I yield." Bowing and waving a hand, Kobushi smiled as Tamega bowed in turn.

Returning to the fountain with the ladle, she filled the water and paused, unsure of how to proceed. "E-Eh.. Now what..?"

Kobushi sighed softly, despite a smile still visible on her face. "Pour the water onto your hands to wash them, one at a time." Tamega held the ladle in one hand, pouring it onto the opposite hand and then mirroring the action as she rinsed both hands.

"Now take your hand and make a cup, pour the water into it, and rinse your mouth." Tamega hesitated, cautiously heeding the steps as she rinsed the water in her mouth. "Now, rinse the same hand again, then hold the ladle vertically and let the water empty." Rinsing the same hand she used to drink from, she nervously poured the water out of the ladle and set it back on the fountain.

Kobushi clasped her hands, satisfied with Tamega's performance. "I believe you are ready! If you'll follow me."

Moving to the edge of the room, Kobushi motioned to a small window. "If you climb to the roof of the tower from here, you will find an empty pedestal. Fit the Heaven Staff inside, and command it to take you to the Guardian's Temple."

Tamega nodded, smiling warmly to Kobushi. "Thank you for your help, after I visit the Guardian I'd love to come visit you before I head back down the tower!" The Familiar blushed, touched by the offer. "Oh how sweet! I'll be sure to make some tea for us to enjoy when you return."

Smiling and waving as she ran to the window, Tamega crawled up and out onto the roof. There at the highest point of the tower, just as Kobushi said, was an ornate golden pedestal with an empty hole.

Fitting the Heaven Staff into the pedestal and gripping it tight, Tamega shouted out for the pole to extend, riding it into the sky as the clouds disappeared from view below her.

After hours of rising higher and higher into the sky, Tamega spotted something circular above her slowly drawing nearer and larger. The pole began to slow down, and Tamega was able to make out the massive structure floating far above the world below. The staff crawled nearly to a halt, and connected with a similar golden pedestal with a loud click. 

Spotting a ladder just out of reach, Tamega gripped the staff with both hands and stood against it with her feet, before kicking off of it and leaping onto the ladder, quickly scaling up it onto the top of the temple.

The Guardian's Temple was lined with pure-white stone tiles, the only thing visible besides a large structure at the opposite side of the temple. Besides the massive white-tiled floor, there seemed to be little else adorning the temple grounds, at least visible through the thick mist.

Just a few feet away, a figure hovered above the ground with both legs crossed, three spheres of energy orbiting their body as they sat floating in a meditative trance. As Tamega approached them, the figure smiled, lowering to the ground and standing. 

"It's been nearly three years, hasn't it? Though, I suppose we've not been properly introduced. Welcome, Tamega. My name is Gyubi." Though not from her own memories, Tamega recognized the familiar white and blue robes of the Guardian.

"And now, we may begin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kobushi (Japanese - Kobushi: Fist, Kobe-ushi: Kobe cattle)  
> Gyubi (Japanese - Gyu-Nyu: Milk, Bi: Beautiful)


	52. Corpore Sano

"The first step is for you to unlearn everything you have learned to this point." Gyubi hovered just above the ground, 'walking' through the air effortlessly as she circled Tamega, who was seated cross-legged on the stone floor. "Until now, you have operated solely on talent, and an understanding of the world as it was placed on you by others of varying, and sometimes extreme philosophies."

"Tell me... What do you believe to be the nature of Ki?" Gyubi crossed her arms, curious to hear the half-Saiyan's answer.

Tamega sat in silence for a good moment, deeply pondering the question. "I suppose.. Ki is the energy people expel to use for fighting and self-defense?"

Gyubi smiled, lowering fully to the ground as her feet touched the stone floor. "You are not entirely wrong. Ki is a byproduct of the balance between body and spirit. Through a healthy body and strong soul, we are able to manifest our spiritual energy outside the body. This is not merely a weapon, or a shield, Ki is part of what makes us living, breathing creatures."

Leaning forward in her seated position as she took in Gyubi's meaning, Tamega raised another question. "But then if I am not dead, why am I not able to use my Ki?"

"If you are alive, you have Ki. Whether or not you are strong enough to wield your own Ki is something else entirely." Reaching out with a palm just in front of Tamega's face, Gyubi closed her eyes, feeling the energy flow through her body. "You've been through much in a short time. Through a tramatic experience, you expelled all the Ki in your body as your cells frantically did everything possible to keep you alive. Despite healing your body and mending your spirit, your Ki remains weak. You have been attempting to wield your Ki as you would before, in ways that you no longer have the capacity for."

This gave Tamega the answers she had been seeking for some time, but it wounded her regardless. "Then.. Will I ever be as strong as I was?"  
Gyubi dropped to her knees in front of Tamega, smiling. "You will. It will take time, perhaps years, perhaps decades. You were born with an exceptional amount of Ki, being the child of a Saiyan. The bad news is that this meant you were taught in such a way that only encouraged you to leech off of that natural-born strength, instead of dedicating yourself toward improving. The good news is, if you dedicate your mind, body, and soul to improving through hard work alone, the potential you may reach is exponentially greater."

Tamega exhaled, trying her best to dispell all doubt in her mind. "I think I understand."

Gyubi rose from her kneeling position and walked past Tamega, gesturing for her to follow as she quickly stood up. Standing at the edge of the Lookout, Gyubi sat with her legs crossed, patting the ground next to her for Tamega to do the same.

"The next step is meditation. You must uncloud your mind, and find serene emptiness."

The two sat meditating for hours, the howling of the wind the only sound that pierced the otherwise empty sky. Focusing her breathing as her mother had taught her years ago, Tamega found the simple task of breathing air to be somewhat difficult as the hours passed.

Gyubi sensed the sharpness of Tamega's attempts to inhale, and reached a hand out toward her stomach. "We are at the highest altitude of Planet Gyuu's atmosphere, you must steady your breathing to adapt to how little oxygen there is."

Trying to inhale without using her stomach, Tamega sputtered, trying to hold back a cough. "It's h-hard.." Gyubi kept the hand firmly on her stomach, "You must remain calm, if you panic it will only quicken your heart and make you breath faster."

Clenching her eyes shut, Tamega did as she was instructed, calming herself and inhaling slowly. "Very good." The two returned to their silent meditation, with Tamega entering a deep trance of focus, nearly to the point of falling asleep then and there.

"You will meditate like this once a day, to center your mind and body." Gyubi stood up, satisfied with Tamega's first attempt. "If you'll follow me, I have a plan for how to most effectively utilize the time you spend here." Still somewhat dizzy from adjusting to the high altitude, Tamega stood up slowly and carefully, wobbling near the edge of the Lookout as she turned and followed Gyubi.


	53. Doorway to the Soul

Walking through the archway at the center of the Lookout, Gyubi brought Tamega to a simplistic brown door. "Once we enter, you must not leave the central platform for your own safety, understood?"

Tamega nodded, tensing her body with worry at what was to come. Gyubi opened the door and ushered Tamega inside, the two of them entering as the Guardian closed the door behind them.

Once inside, Tamega's eyes widened as they gazed out onto the vast field of white nothingness, the porcelain void bearing down on her as if it would consume her simply for setting her eyes upon it.

"Inside this room, one second equates to roughly three-hundred and sixty-five seconds outside. You would be able to train for an entire year in here, with only a day passing outside."

Turning to Gyubi and rubbing her eyes, Tamega blinked a few times. "So then it's.. Hyperbolic..?"

Chuckling softly, Gyubi stared out into the vast emptiness. "Let's just call it the Room of Spirit and Time."

Tamega walked just to the edge of the central platform, clutching her head as she stared out at the white, blank space surrounding the chamber.

"Ngh.." Gyubi noticed the discomfort and quickly motioned her back toward the main room of the chamber. "Don't spend too long staring at the void, it can have a harmful effect on the mind without preparing yourself first."

"You will come here once a day. While inside, you will spend an hour in here, exercising and acclimatizing to the atmosphere. Your goal is to be able to endure an entire year inside of here." Gyubi moved toward the door and opened it, stepping outside with her hand still on the handle. "I will come collect you when one hour has elapsed inside the chamber, and I will be just outside."

Tamega watched the door seal shut with a thunderous reverberation, shutting her off from the rest of the universe. The sudden realization of all-consuming isolation unsettled her.

"Alright... One hour. That's not long, it'll be fine." Dropping to the floor and holding herself upright on her toes and hands, Tamega began to do push-ups at the edge of the platform, the sound of her own voice as she counted out loud echoing unnervingly. "One... Two..." Once she was in a steady rythym, she began pushing herself off the ground and bringing her hands together to clap them in the middle of each push-up.

"Three... Four..." 

"Hundred-eight... Hundred-nine..."

"Two-hundred.. Seventy eight- Nghh.." Wincing as she reached her limit, Tamega collapsed, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the blankness above her. Panting as she clenched her arms, the sudden realization at her inability to tell the passage of time left her somewhat concerned. "Has it been an hour? Should I.. Maybe I should leave?"

Assuming Gyubi was reliable enough not to forget her, Tamega inhaled sharply and rose to her feet, running paces around the outline of the platform.  
As she was running, her foot buckled and she slipped off of the central platform, landing on the flat expanse of white just beyond. All at once, her lungs felt as if they were crumpling in on themselves, and her body refused to budge under the intense gravitational pressure. The air felt ice cold as if it were tearing against her flesh. She tried to scream, the meager amount of air in her lungs unable to muster a whimper.

She began to fade into unconsciousness, as she heard the door open and Gyubi rushing to her side, a gust of wind kicking up behind her as her blue gown flowed behind her.

Quickly picking her up and carrying her out of the chamber, Gyubi brought Tamega to the lower level of the temple, resting her in a bed that had seemingly not seen use in some time. "Tamega, can you hear me?"

"S-..S-Slipped.. S-Sorr.. Sorry.." Holding both hands out over Tamega's stomach, Gyubi focused her energy to her palms, using her ki to slowly mend the half-Saiyan's body. "You're lucky that your hour was finished, another minute and you would have died."

Sighing as Tamega's internal wounds finished healing, Gyubi lowered her hands. "I'm sorry, I thought it would be alright for you to train in the chamber, and my foolishness almost cost you your life. You will train in the Room of Spirit and Time when you are ready, until then, I will personally oversee every aspect of your training."

Tamega clenched her head, a vicious migraine threatening to crack open her skull as she tried to sit up, Gyubi observing her cautiously. "It was an accident, I was running laps and I slipped.. I'm so sorry.. Thank you for saving me."

Gyubi smiled at Tamega, who offered a worried smile in return. "Again, it was my mistake that placed your life in jeopardy. You need not apologize. And, in return for my grave error in judgement, I think I have an offer that will both considerably make up for my mistake, as well as give you ample motivation."

Tamega's ears perked up, clearly enticed by the Guardian's endorsement of her own plan. "It is the task of all Guardians to seek mortals to train and one day replace them as Guardian. For Guardians who are in the process of training one or more pupils, every five years there is a gathering of this Universe's Guardians. The mortals they have trained test their mettle and skills against one another, competing for the honor of being regarded as the strongest mortal in the Universe."

Scratching her hair in a worried expression of doubt, Tamega sighed. "Ehh.. I dunno. That all sounds way too.. Competitive? I do not fight to win, or for glory. I just.. Fight. The reward is the fight itself, right?"

Gyubi was almost taken aback by this surprisingly innocent, yet noble outlook from the young Saiyan. "Quite right. Then I make this offer not for you to enter with the goal of winning, but with the goal of learning. There are many people and styles of combat in this Universe, and this is arguably the safest way to see a vast number of them. And, as additional motivation... There is a prize for the winner."

Tamega was still somewhat hesitant, but listened intently to Gyubi's offer. "Among many of the techniques and the knowledge that the Guardians have accrued, perhaps few compare to the knowledge of conjuring the Dragon Balls."

Gyubi stood from the bed, Tamega's curiosity having been piqued as she watched the Guardian peer out the window of the bedchamber. "The Dragon Balls, once conjured by a planet's Guardian and all seven brought together by a mortal, are capable of granting any one wish. Not all Guardians have managed to conjure them, and some choose not to. The winner of the gathering will be given one wish on the Dragon Balls, anything their heart desires."

A question bubbled into her mind, curiosity leading her to blurt out, "Have you conjured the Dragon Balls before?

Reaching into her robe and clutching the magical stone shard, Tamega considered the possibility of a relation between the two concepts, stuffing it back in her robes as Gyubi brought herself to answer. "The Gyuumans are a fragile people, their beliefs are strong but that belief can be shaken. I have seen it happen, and it leads to tragedy. This planet is a paradise for them, but like a garden it must be carefully cultivated. The Dragon Balls breed temptation, greed, conflict... To introduce the Dragon Balls to their world would spark hope and temper chaos all at once."

Smiling and lowering her head as she crossed her arms, Gyubi turned back to Tamega. "But enough talk of wishes. You are a mortal, a strong mortal, strong enough to make whatever dream you have a reality." Standing over Tamega and holding out a hand, Gyubi looked her in the eyes. "The next Gathering of the Guardians is in four years. If you'll allow me to help you, I aim to teach you to the best of my ability, to help you rekindle your spirit and harness your Ki again."

Beaming with excitement, Tamega smiled from ear to ear as she took no hesitation in reaching out to take Gyubi's hand.


	54. Remembrance

"Ninety-four.. Ninety-five.. Ninety-six.."

The shadow of the rising sun cast a brilliant gleam of light over the Guardian's Lookout as dawn broke behind Tamega, who was nearly finished with her pre-morning workout. "Ninety nine.. One-hundred..!"

Hopping off the ground and standing up straight, Tamega took a deep breath in and began sprinting in a circle around the inner portion of the temple. Not taking any chances after her clumsy near-death experience in the Room of Spirit and Time, she thought it best to run her laps away from the edge of the Lookout.

Fifty laps later, Tamega took a quick second to catch her breath, wiping a line of sweat from her brow before continuing her exercise routine.

A set of jumping jacks, followed by a set of reversed, upside-down jumping jacks as she pushed herself off the ground with both hands, and finally, twenty minutes balancing on one foot on one of the trees of the lookout's garden.

Hopping down from the tree with her exercise completed, she lifted her robe just enough to tug off a set of heavy padded clothing from her mid-section, arms, and upper legs, tossing them in a pile with a hard thud as they fell.

Tamega stood at the edge of the lookout, peering down at the clouds obscuring the world far below her. Closing her eyes and inhaling,

Tamega raised her hands in a swaying, gentle motion, pulling one to her hip facing behind her, and the other facing outward in front of her, as if circulating oxygen and blood throughout her body the way a river would water. With a sharp exhale, her hands reversed positions swiftly, firing her left palm forward.

"Nothing yet." Standing upright as she heard a chime from the lower level of the temple, she raced off to meet Gyubi for their morning tea.  
As Tamega sat at the table within the Guardian's personal kitchen, Gyubi smiled and served her a cup of her home-brewed Senzu-bean tea.

"You've been here for just over a month, how goes your training?"

Taking the cup and blowing on it, Tamega nodded. "I think it's going well. I still can't use my Ki, but we... *I* feel more envigorated, I think the word is?"

Gyubi nodded as she sipped her own tea, listening to Tamega speak. "I think I can discern the problem, at last." Tamega stopped sipping abruptly, turning to face Gyubi. "Y-You can?"

"Doubt." Gyubi set her cup on the table, interlocking her hands and staring at Tamega, who stared back in confusion. "Doubt?"

Gyubi nodded with her eyes closed as she spoke. "There is not a single thing wrong with you, physically or spiritually. Indeed, your spirit is as explosive and excitable as ever. Your mind is healthy, you are calm, without anxieties or fears. But yet, there is one toxin that remains, one rot poisoning the entire well. You doubt yourself, you doubt that you will ever reacquire the means to control your ki, a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Tamega looked at her hands, unable to deny it now that she was forced to confront it. "Then.. How do I clear myself of doubt?"

Gyubi rose from the table, waving a hand to beckon Tamega to follow. The two climbed the stairway to the top of the temple, and stood at the center of the lookout, Gyubi keeping her arms crossed behind her while Tamega watched carefully. "I am going to to try something, but I've no way of knowing if it will work or not. It relies entirely on you." Holding out one palm, Gyubi fired a sphere of energy at Tamega aiming it directly for her face.

Her eyes going wide, Tamega gasped and threw her hands up, catching the energy sphere as it tried to force its way through her. It did not burn, yet it required all of her physical strength to keep it held back. For a moment, she felt afraid, this harsh method of training uncharacteristic for Gyubi.

Raising her arms and firing off a series of energy bullets, they zipped and flew through the air before making contact with Tamega, doing no damage to her but pushing and pulling her around. Tamega winced and grimaced, trying to push them away as Gyubi's hands waved about to manipulate them from afar.

Tamega began to panic, despite physically being in no danger, the feeling of being trapped and powerless causing her to hyperventilate. "Release your doubt, and you will release yourself."

Clenching her eyes to blink back tears, Tamega's face tensed with determination, something in her mind clicking into place as she clenched her fists. Her fear sharpened into focus, her rage refined into targeted intent. Her jaw opened slowly as she roared out, her eyes flashing a green hue as energy exploded all around her, a bright light enveloping her as reality faded. 

A voice called out to her, screaming a name. Was it her name? Something cold bristled against her cheeks, like wind, jostling her awake. She was falling. The ground was coming closer and closer, she couldn't fly and Gyubi wouldn't be fast enough to catch her.

Face to face with the surprising size of Planet Gyuu from thousands of miles in the air, and the realization that she was about to die, Tamega was surprisingly calm. In this moment of all moments, a memory came to her. She wasn't even sure if it was her own memory.

A happy memory. When her mother first taught her how to fly. A smile broke across her face, closing her eyes and embracing the comfort of the moment in that long and distant memory, as if it were an illusion.

It was then that she remembered. Why she learned to fly, why she began to fight, why she kept exploring. She'd lost it for a moment, in the despair of nearly being killed by Daizi. Now, faced with what could be her final moments, she smiled as she remembered.

The feeling of wind blowing in her hair, the thrill of a good fight, the reward of seeing her own progress. 

It made her happy. That was why she kept moving forward, for no other reason than beyond the simple fact that it brought her happiness, happiness that would not be defined by the pain that sometimes came from seeking it.

She was nearly to the ground now, closing her eyes for one last time. This was the moment where she would die... Or destroy all doubt in her mind, forever.

Opening her eyes and careening to the right, she felt the surge of power erupting from her feet as she tore out of her collision course with the ground. She began gliding for a moment, before falling once again.

Focusing her intent, she rocketed off in another direction, gasping with glee as she found herself remembering how to fly. Bounding through the air one foot at a time, she 'jumped' through the clouds before allowing herself to fall, picking up speed and momentum as she curved upward into the sky, hollering with excitement and howling with laughter.

Gyubi, having thought that she had just killed her student not a moment ago, stood at the edge of the Lookout with relief, collapsing to her knees as she watched Tamega tear through the sky in all manner of loop-de-loops and spiraling tricks. "Just as I suspected.. You had it in you all along. Though, my heart could have been spared the theatrics.."


	55. Spirit Science

Opening her eyes, Tamega stared out at the vast sea of darkness and stars, with only her own aura to protect her from the chaos of the infinite vaccuum. There, in the infinite void of space only just above Planet Gyuu, Tamega was faced with the crushing realization of just how empty space truly is. 

Yet, in that absence of creation, Tamega could not have been more at peace. All sight, sound, and touch miles away as she floated, meditating outside of creation itself.

Fully awakening from her meditative trance, Tamega rocketed back down toward the planet, slowing her descent as the Guardian's Lookout came into view. Landing gracefully on one foot, Tamega took in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling and shaking her body loose.

"You were up there for nearly two hours this time, quite the improvement." Gyubi had been waiting patiently, keeping track of Tamega's time meditating in the void of space. 

Tamega cracked her back as she casually asked, "Is that good? I feel like I could've stayed way longer." Gyubi nodded as she approached Tamega, walking side-by-side as they moved toward the center of the temple. "You've learned how to convert your energy into oxygen, and you have a vast reserve of energy at your disposal. But you must take care, that energy does not come from nothing. The more energy you consume, the more it will begin to tap into your body's reserves, burning calories and eventually muscle."

Tamega nodded, as they once again came to the door of the Room of Spirit and Time, for the first time in nearly a year. Gyubi opened the door, entering in front of Tamega and motioning for her to close the door behind them. "I will stay with you this time, and ensure you are safe. I've nearly caused your death twice now, and would prefer to avoid a third accident."

Walking to the edge of the platform, Gyubi made a small hop down to the infinite white 'floor' of the featureless emptiness. Tamega followed her carefully, cautious from the last time when the chamber nearly crushed every bone in her body.

The moment her foot touched the white floor, she felt as if she were being pinned in place by a mountain of weight around her. She only barely managed to remain on her feet, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to stay upright. "It will be difficult, but this will be the most effective way to maximize your training."

For two hours a day, every day, Gyubi would observe Tamega as she exercised under the ten-times gravity of the Room and Spirit and Time. Her progress was gradual but obvious, and Gyubi quickly realized the chamber would soon outweigh its usefulness to Tamega, if she prioritized solely her physical training.

A month passed outside the chamber, with Tamega and Gyubi spending two hours every day inside. With the slowing of Tamega's physical progress, Gyubi began guiding Tamega on pushing the limits of her ki, forcing her learn not as a warrior, but as a Gyuuman monk.

Tamega learned every facet of her energy imaginable, from basic manipulation of her ki outside the body, converting ki into energy, to protecting her body by using her ki as a barrier, and even creating defensive tools out of her energy.

Time continued to pass inside and out of the chamber, until Tamega had all but lost track. She thought it might have been a year, maybe longer. With how much she had learned and how busy Gyubi kept her, she hardly could care.

One morning, Tamega awoke inside of the chamber, opening her eyes to Gyubi hovering over her. "Good morning, I have a special lesson planned for you today."

Rubbing her eyes and pulling herself to her feet, Tamega groggily followed Gyubi to the door of the chamber, the two of them exiting and closing the door behind them. Standing at the center of the Lookout, Gyubi was silent for a moment.

"Tell me what is around us."

Tamega was unsure of how to answer, pondering for a moment. "Air?"

"Life," Gyubi moved toward one of the threes in the central garden, running a hand along the trunk as energy danced along the surface. "All around us, in the air, in the garden, on the planet below, in our bodies."

Very delicately, she pulled her hand away from the tree, a trickle of energy flowing from the plant and into her palm. "If you ask for it, the life around you will grant you a boon of energy. Ki is the energy of the physical, mental, and spiritual self in perfect harmony. This," Gyubi held the tiny bead of energy floating in the center of her palm, staring at it as she spoke, "Is pure spiritual energy. Pure, raw life." Raising her palm toward the sky, the bead fluttered into the air and popped in a dazzling sparkle of dew spreading in all directions.

"If you ask for it, nature will grant it. Even living things, people, will offer it if you ask for it. But you must take great care, this is not a bottomless well." Trickling her hand along one of the ferns, energy coursed from the leafy veins and surged into her palm, the plant turning brown, and then black as it shriveled into a lifeless husk. 

Tamega paid close attention to the Guardian's lesson, taking her words to heart as she observed. Gyubi clenched a fist, the spiritual energy surging throughout her body and tracing along every surface of her skin. "Spirit has a number of uses, but I will be teaching you how to use it to create a barrier, a Spirit Shield. Try to strike me."

Tamega exhaled through her nostrils and forced a palm toward Gyubi's stomach, only to find her strike halted by an invisible, yet physical force. Something electroctuted Tamega, firing a surge of energy through her body that caused her to gasp as she collapsed to the ground. Gyubi quickly moved to help her back on her feet, Tamega clutching her head as she realized she couldn't feel her Ki. "W-What.." 

Gyubi was quick to assuage her fears, "Do not panic, the effects of the Spirit Barrier should only linger for a few short minutes." Ensuring Tamega was alright standing on her own, Gyubi carefully released her and moved to a position standing in front of her. "The Spirit Shield, once prepared, can halt one, and only one attack, no matter how weak or strong. An attacker could bring the full force of a star's heat down upon you, and the Spirit Shield would nullify it. Or, if they were to physically strike you with the shield active, it will overload their Ki for a short time. This was a weaker Spirit Shield, so you should be fine within ten minutes or so. A fully charged shield might last upwards of an hour."

"So then.. Could I hyopthetically prepare multiple?" Gyubi quickly shook her head no. "Even if it were possible to 'stack' them, the Spirit Shield requires a massive amount of spiritual energy drawn in from the entire planet's plant and animal life. Doing it once will take time, doing it a second time would take even longer and would kill much of the planet's life. One shield will only last for a few hours, and it might take days for the life of a planet to fully recover before it is safe to take spiritual energy for another."

Tamega stared at her palm for a moment, feeling as her energy slowly began to swell within her again, before looking to Gyubi with a determined expression. "I understand."


	56. The Guardians Gather

Age 756

  
The wind howled, the grass glistening with the early-morning dew sprinkled across the surface of the endless field, stretching far into the distance beyond view. Just as dawn broke, the distant blue sun rising over the endless green horizon, the chime of a bell rung out for miles. 

Flashes of light began to erupt, towers and walls rising into the air, stone manifesting out of thin air as figures appeared and landed atop them, cloaked in robes as they observed the rapidly unfolding construction. In the span of a minute, an intricately designed temple, observation stands, and circular arena at the center had been erected out of nothing.

Another series of flashes ignited across the surface of the grass outside the temple, thousands of figures appearing in the blink of an eye, brought to the alien planet from innumerable light-years apart. The blinding pillars of light ceased, revealing the figures to be various people of all species and sizes, each accompanied by a Guardian in blue and red robes.

Tamega blinked with confusion, having arrived with her blindfold on and unsure of what was happening. Her hand was still on Gyubi's shoulder, the last thing she could recall being to hold on tight. Ears twitching as she turned to her left and right, she knew they were no longer on Planet Gyuu, or any other planet she had seen before. All around her, she could sense figures of countless shapes, heights, and bodily appendages, all casually chattering amongst each other.

"I do hope they are not allowing beasts to enter the sacred Gathering of the Guardians." The stern, yet diminuitive voice pierced Tamega's ears, shocking her and causing her to spin and find the source. Staring down just below her, she could make out the aura of Master Rakkas, nearly falling to the ground in tears then and there.

Clenching her fists with a smile, and trying to hide the tears, Tamega crashed her fists together and gave a respectful bow to her old teacher. "I believe I left any beasts I might know back on Planet Gyuu, Master Rakkas. Is Master Amond with you?"

"He has participated in this gathering once before, and is already well on his way toward becoming a Guardian worthy of replacing me. He elected to remain behind and safeguard the people in the event of an attack while I am away, rather than participate in another childish competition." Tamega nodded, tightening her blindfold.

Master Rakkas took note of this, furrowing his brow as his bushy mustache fluttered with annoyance. "You wear the training blindfold of a warrior of Natto, yet you take lessons from this lazy old bat? I should strike you." Tamega tensed, still able to remember Master Rakkas' cane as if the bruises were fresh. "But it shows dedication, and what better way to represent the superior school of learning while in the presence of such a lackluster Guardian?"

Gyubi, who had been listening to the entire exchange, finally pressed her hands behind Tamega's back and ushered her toward the temple, where more of the Guardians and their students were gathering. "It is as pleasant as always to see you Rakkas, but my student and I really must be going.." Tamega waved goodbye as she was pushed away, Master Rakkas offering a subtle nod, more approval than Tamega could have hoped for as she grinned ear to ear.

Already tense from subjecting herself and her student to the belittling dismantlement of Rakkas' judgement, Gyubi was fighting the urge not to grind her teeth. "I really must insist that until the Gathering has begun, you try your best not to engage the other Guardians. While some of them you may have a pre-existing relationship with, many Guardians are very.. Proud."

"Proud? In what way?" Gyubi stopped in her tracks, her hands releasing Tamega as the Guardian sighed. "The Guardian is regarded by many to be a divine title. Many Guardians see themselves as Gods, or *the* God to surpass all others. They can be quite vain, and to approach them as a mortal would be insulting."

Another figure in blue and red approached them, a tall, muscular being with a passing resemblance to Kobushi. The Guardian's head was topped with a monstrous pair of long, white horns stretching out at either side of his head, adorned with ornate golden decorations. "Gyubi! It's been eons, I'm surprised to see you here."

Gyubi smiled to the Horned Guardian, as Tamega offered a polite bow. Gyubi leaned in close and whispered, "Has there been any word if... *He* will be attending?" He merely crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders. "It's anyone's guess. Rumor has it he's been training a student, if you could believe it." 

Gyubi scowled, visibly irritated in a display Tamega had not yet seen from her. "That stuck-up slug, even after finally selecting a student he can't be bothered to associate with the other Guardians. It's a shame really, allowing his pupil to miss out on the chance of a lifetime."

A flash of light erupted not far from where Gyubi, Tamega, and the Horned Guardian were standing, as everyone still present turned to see the late-comer. 

The light dissipated, revealing a tall Guardian with anntenae that reminded Tamega of Disco, accompanied by a humanoid mortal with black, spikey hair. Tamega turned to Gyubi and whispered, "Is that the guy you two were talking about..?" Gyubi was quick to shush her, muttering, "I'll fill you in later.."

Tamega tugged down her blindfold for a moment, to get a better look at the two. The mortal immediately stood out to her first, realizing at only a glance that he was most definitely a Saiyan. The unmistakable jet-black and spiked hair, and the sensation Tamega could feel emnating from him, that he was hungry for a good fight. Yet, he did not seem bloodthirsty, rather he had a surprisingly calm aura, his spirit giving the impression that he was simply.. Excited.

Her staring must have been obvious, because not a moment later he had spotted her and rushed toward her, raising a hand and offering a short but simple, "Yo! Sorry we're late!"

"What have I told you about greeting people with a 'Yo'?" The Saiyan raised his hands behind his head and chuckled, casually snickering. "Sorry! I'm just so excited, y'know?"

The Saiyan stretched out a hand, offering it to Tamega to shake. "My name's-"

Before he could introduce himself, a bell rung out across the field in front of the temple, as a booming voice resounded, deafening everyone into silence. **"THE GATHERING OF THE GUARDIANS WILL BEGIN MOMENTARILY. ALL GUARDIANS WITH A STUDENT PARTICIPATING MUST IMMMEDIATELY MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN."**

Gyubu quickly gave a tug of Tamega's robe, unfortunately pulling her away from the strange Saiyan. "There will be time for socializing after, we must really be going."

As he watched her leave, the Saiyan grumbled and crossed his arms, while the Guardian accompanying him tried to put his mind at rest. "Not everyone is here for talking, Rotto." The Saiyan grumbled, shrugging to himself. "It's fine.. I just got a feeling that she was really strong, it's making me excited at the chance to beat her in a fight!" 

Groaning, the Guardian turned to Rotto. "Is victory really all you crave, even still?" Rotto nodded. "Well yeah! What's the point of fighting if you don't win?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rotto - English: Carrot, Rotten


	57. Round One

Entering through a colossal archway, Tamega was able to see two fighters already competing in the center arena. A muscular being with intimidating front-facing horns was brawling with a female fighter, who hovered slightly in the air and danced gracefully around his blows.

Gyubi gestured to the stands and spoke plainly, "Remain here, I will be back shortly. For now, simply study the warriors who may soon be your opponent." Tamega nodded and took an empty seat, next to what looked to be yet another Saiyan.

Turning to her and waving politely, Tamega took a quick glance at the Saiyan. Her hair was long and pure black, spikey and messy as it frayed in every direction down along her back. Her tail was coiled around her waist, and Tamega assumed it made it easier for her to sit without it getting in the way. "Hello! I'm Tamega."

The Saiyan stared past Tamega, seemingly ignoring her. She had a grim expression, as if annoyed. "Are.. Are you alright?" Tamega's words only seemed to agitate her further, the Saiyan visibly trembling in her seat.

"A-Ah, my apologies, my sister is not very talkative." Tamega turned her head to see a smaller, scrawnier Saiyan boy holding what looked to be some sort of food. "My name is Been, and this is my sister Kofi. Please, don't mistake her silence for irritation, she has difficulty speaking.."

Tamega nodded, offering a warm smile. "My name is Tamega, I'm here to fight in the Gathering. Are you fighting as well?" Been offered a weak smile in return, Tamega scooting down along her seat to give Been a place to sit next to his sister. "No, but Kofi is."

Tamega took another glance at Kofi, realizing that her trembling was not out of frustration, but rather some form of stress. Closing her eyes and feeling the emotions flooding from her, she quickly realized that Kofi was anxious, unsure of how to speak to a stranger that had so casually approached her.

"Well, if you'll be fighting I hope I have a chance to compete against you." Staring back toward the arena, the muscular warrior was now on the ground, the smaller fighter standing atop him in victory.

Each time a fight would end, the booming celestial voice would announce the names of the next fighters to enter the arena. After some time observing the fights, Tamega nearly fell out of her seat as the voice spoke her name. 

**"TAMEGA. AND. BOOLE. ENTER THE RING IMMEDIATELY."**

Rising from her seat and bowing to the two Saiyans, Been smiled and waved to Tamega, his mouth full of food as he watched her run toward the arena. Kofi's eyes shifted slowly, locking onto Tamega and observing her as she entered the ring, curious to witness another Saiyan's performance.

Stepping up into the ring, Tamega felt herself slip through something gelatinous, like a barrier of fluid all around the circular arena. Trying to push her hand back through it, it became solid, and she realized that she was now trapped inside the arena until the fight was finished.

Her opponent, a burly creature with four arms, stared down at Tamega with a smirk. "I'm supposed to fight this scrawny excuse of a warrior? What'll my people think of me if I beat up a kid?" 

Tamega scowled up at him, crossing her arms. "I'm seventeen... At least. I've sort of lost count." A gong was sounded within the barrier, signalling the two to begin.

Boole immediately tried to rush at Tamega, his four hands coming together in attempt to grab her. Leaping from the floor of the arena and landing on his head, Tamega began stomping on his skull over and over. For a brief moment of shock, he howled with rage, until he came to his senses and grabbed her, throwing her at the barrier.

Spinning in mid-air and landing feet-first against the barrier, Tamega launched herself away from it and fired fist-first toward Boole's face, the punch landing square in the center of his nose and hurtling backwards.

"W-Wuh.. Guhh.." Boole tried to rise, before crumpling to the floor unconscious. The barrier vanished as the celestial voice boomed, **"WINNER, TAMEGA."**

Been had been watching with excitement, turning to his sister and pointing at Tamega. "Wasn't that incredible? She may even be a match for you!" Kofi glared at Tamega, her anxiety flooding her mind and screaming at her to run away at the sight of such a powerful Saiyan warrior.

Been, sensing her uneasiness, quickly took her hands. "You're okay. You're going to do great, understand?" Kofi nodded and did her best to untense her muscles, just as Tamega returned, wiping a line of sweat from her brow. "Not bad for a warm-up match! To be honest I was kind of worried I'd be lucky enough to get one win."

Sitting next to Been, Tamega could once again sense Kofi's overwhelming anxiety. 

After a number of uninteresting and quick fights went by, Tamega's ears perked to listen for the voice, as it called out once more. **"TAMEGA. AND. KOFI. ENTER THE RING IMMEDIATELY."**

Kofi's entire body froze, her muscles tensed into petrified stone. Tamega, sensing her fear, rose from her seat and stood over her, offering a hand. "I won't go easy on you, so I want you to show me the best you've got, okay? Throw everything you've got at me."

Kofi stared Tamega in the eyes, unsure of how to respond. Though offering Tamega a nod of understanding, Kofi did not take her hand, rising from her seat slowly. It was then that Tamega realized how tall the Saiyan was, nearly a foot above her. Kofi walked toward the arena and entered the barrier, Tamega trailing behind.

Once the two were inside the circle, Kofi closed her eyes, her muscles tensing once again. This time, Tamega couldn't feel the same anxiety from her, it was as if her muscles were not tensing from stress, but focus. As if a clear objective had entered her mind. An eerie black mist emnated from Kofi's aura, as the veins on her forehead flared and her pupils contracted.

The gong rang out, signaling them to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boole: English - Bully  
> Kofi: English - Coffee  
> Been: English - Bean


	58. Curveball

A shockwave caused the barrier around the arena to ripple and shimmer, as Tamega groaned and winced in pain, her arms raised to block the blow from Kofi's punch. 

Kofi did not move, slowly drifting to the ground and landing on her boots, her fist still connected with Tamega's arms. She slowly began to drive her palm downward, gradually grinding Tamega to her knees. 

Rapidly realizing the gap in power between them, Tamega did the only thing she could possibly think of, and spun her hands around so that her palms faced Kofi, and emitted a blast of concentrated energy, weak enough that it could not touch her, yet so bright that it left both Tamega and Kofi blinded.

Kofi reeled backwards, dazed and enraged as she began clutching her eyes, hissing with frustration as Tamega took advantage of the situation, clenching her strained eyes shut and reaching out with her Ki to keep track of Kofi's movements. Blinded, but not helpless, Tamega ran at Kofi with her arms outstretched, leaping and driving both palms forward in a corkscrew motion.

Her nostrils flaring, Kofi drove a palm forward to catch Tamega's hands, gripping them tight and pulling her closer. With her arms restrained, Tamega did the only thing she could think to do, and delivered a headbutt against Kofi's skull.

The brunt force of the attack, for but a brief moment, left Kofi stunned.. Only for her to regain her composure, her irises focusing and her arms convulsing, as she retaliated with a headbutt of her own, slamming her head against Tamega's brow hard enough that she could feel something crack.

For a split moment, Tamega went limp, and Kofi hoisted her by the waist with both hands and hurtled her up into the air, driving her into the ground with a vicious slam.

Broken and bruised, but not beaten, Tamega defiantly rose and locked eyes with Kofi. Her opponent took long, drawn-out heaves of breath, sweat dripping down her brow and arms. The steam flickered and sputtered, and it was clear the energy she was exerting was finite.

Tamega recognized that she would be unable to win through brute force alone. Even if she were to transform, Kofi's physical strength far exceeded what Tamega could muster, even accounting for the speed increase of her golden form.

If she was going to win this, Tamega needed to use her head, figuratively as opposed to literally this time.

Gripping her hand into a tight fist, plasma began to surge in all directions, lashing out at the barrier sealing the arena and rending the floor of the ring near where Kofi stood. She tried to step closer, only for the energy to snap violently at her, lashing her cheek. 

Tamega rose into the air, the lightning in her palm reacting more violently with each passing second, forcing Kofi to remain grounded or risk severe injury by the unstable energy. Opening her fist, a condensed sphere encapsulated the bursting plasma, the energy within aggressively trying to lash out and escape. The makeshift container wouldn't last for long, and Tamega knew she only needed one good shot.

Launching the ball of energy at Kofi, it tore through the air in a vibrant streak of magenta. The projectile made contact with Kofi, just as she lifted a boot to catch it. With a hop and a kick, the projectile rebounded, flying back at Tamega, far faster than before.

With no other option, Tamega drove her fist forward, the punch yet again rebounding the unstable energy sphere to Kofi. Their back-and-forth game drew the interest of the crowd, many of whom had never seen such a display of power.

Spinning and catching the sphere in the palm of her hand, Kofi snarled as it seared her skin, rotating and vibrating as the energy reached its peak. Reeling her shoulder and arm backwards, Kofi stepped forward and mustered all of her strength to throw the ball one last time back at Tamega.

Clasping her hands, Tamega screamed out, throwing all she had into this last ditch effort as her hands once again sparked with energy crackling out all around her. "STORMING SPIKE!" Tamega's hands drove the sphere down to the ground, but before it could even make contact with the floor of the arena, the energy within the sphere could no longer be contained. All at once, the encapsulated plasma burst with the added friction of Kofi and Tamega's struggle. 

The entire barrier rippled and shuddered at the force of the explosion, stone and dirt beneath it shredding around Kofi, as dust and debris shrouded both warriors from view.


	59. Round Two

Tamega tried to open her eyes, only forcing her to clench them shut harder. Fighting them to open, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, confused. Pressing her hands beneath her, she realized she was laying on something soft.

Frantically looking in all directions, she recognized herself to be in some sort of infirmary, within a half-spherical building. The only light-source was the sunlight pouring in through the hole at the far end of the dome, seemingly the only exit as well.

"That was reckless. You broke half the bones in your body." Tamega's head spun to find Gyubi sitting just next to her, peering angrily.  
Tamega sat up and prepared to wince, somewhat surprised by the lack of any pain. "Well, in all fairness, I didn't expect her to hit my own attack back at me."

Gyubi sighed, standing from the seat and offering a hand to help Tamega out of bed. "You could have died. Why did you persist?" Tamega crossed her arms, rising out of bed herself. "I was trying to do what you told me, about being spontaneous."

"That was not being spontaneous, that was being stubborn and repeating the same tactic in the hope of different results. 'Try, try again' only goes so far." Gyubi rested a hand on Tamega's shoulder, staring her in the eyes with a look of concern. "I did not intent to reprimand you, only to counsel you. All the people of Planet Gyuu are of the same blood, the same family. That is why I continue to help you, but why I continue to fret over your safety."

Tamega nodded, resting her own hand over Gyubi's and pressing it to her shoulder. "I'm okay, I promise. I always figure something out, don't I?"

Gyubi lowered her head in defeat, unsure of how to reach her student. "The fault with gambling, is eventually you will lose. What of next time? When next you lose, what if you lose your life?"

Tamega pondered on her words for a moment, before finally delivering an answer. "To be honest, we.. I don't allow myself to consider it as a factor. If I did, I guess I wouldn't want to fight at all." Smiling to Gyubi, Tamega's ears perked as the commanding voice from the arena erupted in proclamation, **"ROTTO. AND. TAMEGA. ENTER THE RING IMMEDIATELY."**

Staring at Gyubi with confusion, Tamega was unsure if she had heard properly. "I lost my last fight, didn't I?" Gyubi was quick to explain, realizing she had neglected to inform Tamega of the gathering's rules. "You continue to fight until you can no longer fight, or all remaining fighters have had a chance to test each other."

Tamega immediately went white, realizing the titanic wall she was now set on climbing. _"I would've spent a few more days in the Room of Spirit and Time if you'd mentioned that beforehand.."_

A gong erupted, signaling for the fighters to hurry to the ring, as Tamega sprinted past Gyubi toward the arena.

Within the barrier, the spikey-haired Saiyan stood with his hands behind his head casually, clearly confident in his performance.

Unfortunately, Tamega had been out cold during his fights, denying her a chance to observe her opponent in action.

Rotto offered Tamega a childish grin, scratching his hair and chuckling. "I promise not to hit you too hard!" Tamega raised an eyebrow as she stepped up into the ring. "Doesn't that.. Sort of defeat the purpose of this match?"

Shrugging, Rotto rolled his eyes. "Well yeah, but it'd be rude to beat up a girl. My master has taught me how to be a gentleman, after all."

Tamega stared blankly at him, before stating plainly, "I have no idea what anything you just said is supposed to mean, so.. Good luck?"

The gong rang within the barrier, and Rotto immediately charged at Tamega, reeling back a punch as he ran. Tamega hopped into the air and met his fist with a foot, kicking it away and catching him off balance.

Surprised at her speed, Rotto tried to stand up straight and drive a fist forward, only for Tamega to spin underneath his shoulder and deliver a quick barrage of palmed strikes to his side and abdomen.

Reeling and stepping back in surprise, Rotto almost looked as if he were about to cry. "W-What.. There's no way you're that fast.."  
Tamega grinned, realizing this fight would be significantly easier than the last. "You think that was fast? Well, if it helps, I'll let you take back your offer. Go ahead and hit me, if you can."

Rotto sprinted and jumped into the air toward Tamega, trying to land a fist driving down at her toward the ground. Closing her eyes and awakening a calm, joyous feeling in her chest, her hair fluttering as orange sparks trickled along her skin, surrounding her in a barrier that pulsed outward, brushing Rotto aside.

Landing on his back with a grunt, Rotto quickly sat up to look at Tamega, only to be surprised by her standing over top of him. Kicking at her, he found himself flailing at nothing but the air, as she was already gone. He felt a flick against the back of his head, spinning and rising to his feet as he swiped with a fist at the air.

A fist struck Rotto in the shoulder, throwing him backwards only for a hand to immediately catch him and hoist him into the air, before casually dropping him onto his feet. It was as if she were invisible, toying with him from the shadows.

Standing at the edge of the ring, she stared at him with her arms crossed, the sparks of vibrant orange energy trickling out in all directions.

Boiling with rage, Rotto unleashed a furious storm of surging energy out in Tamega's direction, the barrage of ki-blasts tearing into the barrier and exploding as they seemingly phased through her. "H-How?! You didn't even move!"

His words gave her pause, casually approaching him as she let down her guard. "You really can't see me move, can you?" Rotto fired off another set of beams and energy-balls, desperately trying to hit her. "To be honest, I'm disappointed. I don't mean to be rude, but I genuinely thought you would be a challenge.."

Screaming and driving a fist forward, his hand connected with Tamega's cheek, pushing her head back, if only slightly. She brought her hand up to his and gently lowered it away from her cheek, staring him in the eye and waiting to see if he had anything remotely interesting to offer.

Finally, brought to his limit, Rotto howled with rage as he began stamping the ground with a foot. "YOU'RE CHEATING!"

For some reason, Tamega found herself stricken with dread. She couldn't explain why, but it was as if his words had torn into her lungs and heart. "W-What..?"

Turning away from Tamega, Rotto looked to the crowd, consisting of the various gathered Guardians and their mortal guests. "I don't know how, but she's obviously cheating! Just look at her! She's glowing ORANGE! She shouldn't be allowed to use whatever that is, Saiyans don't glow orange!"

Tamega stepped back, clenching her trembling fists as she complied with his absurd accusatory demand. "Fine then. If it's really that important to you, I'll finish this fight without transforming."

Rushing blindly at Tamega once again, a sudden brunt force stopped him mid-run, a fist driving up into his chin. She stood waiting for him to react, as he wobbled on his legs. Clenching his teeth and swinging a fist from the left toward her head, Rotto roared as Tamega caught his fist and drove a palm into his face, circling him and twisting his arm behind his head as she bound him without effort.

"You know, I haven't fought all that many people, but most of them were pretty awful. I've fought people that killed for fun, I've fought people that killed for sport, I've been bloodied, bruised, broken, and to be honest I think one of them might have actually killed me.. But I have to say, none of them did anything as low and pathetic as to say I'm cheating just because they were losing." She wanted to contain the fury boiling in her veins, but at the same time, something in her told her to let it out. The only thing she could think of was a compromise.

Spinning him until he was dazed and nauseous, Tamega hurled him to the center of the arena, giving him a moment to compose himself. "Forfeit, now. Take your loss with some dignity."

Rotto clenched all the muscles in his body, refusing to be beaten. "YOU HAVE TO BE CHEATING! THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN BEAT ME!"

Inhaling, holding the breath in her chest for a moment, and then exhaling, Tamega smiled. "Have it your way. Let's get petty."

Tensing her hands and gritting her teeth, Tamega kept her eyes locked on Rotto as her pupils swirled with green waves of light. Her hair flickered and waved as her aura pulsed again and again, her entire body glowing with a surge of power. Roaring out loud for Rotto to hear as her fury took the reigns, her hair ignited with a golden yellow, her energy erupting in a flash that forced Rotto against the barrier, unable to resist the force her aura was emitting.

Rotto tried to push forward, slowly stepping closer and closer as she stood watching. Deciding he'd had enough time, she approached him gradually, the force of her aura pinning him against the barrier. 

Finally, her aura dissipated and she allowed him to move again. Clenching his sides in pain, Rotto spent what felt like ages staring at her, trying to understand what had happened to her as she stood with lightning coiling around her body. Smirking, he stepped forward and began to laugh. "That form isn't even that special! I can do that too!"

Crossing her arms, Tamega stood and observed him, clearly disinterested but curious to see what pathetic ploy he had up his sleeves this time.

Tensing all of his muscles and surrounding himself with a brilliant aura, his hair glowed a bright white hue as he stopped and stared at her. "How do you like that, huh? I think I'll call this form 'Dragon God!'"

Tamega wanted to throttle him as she stared at his 'transformation'. "You're just glowing with the force of your own energy. You haven't even gotten any stronger." Rotto grinned with a smug expression that Tamega had seen in other like-minded Saiyans. "Oh yeah? Come try and hit me!"

Tired of his boasting, Tamega began half-walking, half-jogging toward him, clenching a fist with the intent of breaking Rotto's arm as he did the same.

Stopping mid-sprint, Tamega paused in surprise as she felt something approaching. Her ears perked as the shards in her robe began to hum softly. Rotto's fist met her cheek, the Saiyan smirking as he tried to drive it in harder. Tamega barely reacted as she pushed him on the ground and walked toward the center of the arena, staring out at the sky with an expression of panic.

Gyubi, observing from the stands, could both see and feel Tamega's growing worry. Far in the air above the ring, a brightly burning asteroid could be spotted on a direct path toward the barrier.

Multiple Guardians sensed the approaching entity, and stood at the ready, as it smashed against the barrier in the blink of an eye, the invisible forcefield bursting with a brilliant shimmer into a thousand glistening droplets.

Tamega raised an arm to protect her face from the force of the orbital entry as the uninvited guest landed against the arena, the circle instantly coming apart and bursting in all directions, throwing Rotto away like a ragdoll in a dust-storm.

A surge of vibrant violet energy crackled outward from the epicenter of the crater, where Tamega stood trying to peer through the cloud of dust. It was then that she recognized the familiar energy of the stranger.

A purple arm rushed forward out of the cloud, a clawed hand wrapping around Tamega's throat. Wincing and trying her best to break free, the arm pulled her into the cloud, steam snarling through the stranger's teeth as he stared at her with his demonic crimson eyes.

**"WHERE. ARE. MY. SHARDS?"**


	60. Intermission

Tamega gasped desperately for breath, trying to speak despite the hand tightening around her throat. "D-Dis.. Co.. W-What.."

Releasing her neck and hoisting her in the air by the front of her robe, Disco snarled again, repeating his question.

**"WHERE. ARE. THEY."**

Several Guardians descended from the stands and began to circle the arena, approaching cautiously to hopefully not escalate the situation further. Rotto, having finally picked himself up off of the ground, made his way behind Disco and shouted in his ear.

"Hey idiot, we were having a fight and I was WINNING. So-"

A fist clamped around Rotto's mouth, as Disco simultaneously threw Tamega several feet outside the ring before focusing on the runt and pulling him off the ground, driving fist after fist into his gut. Disco finally tossed him away into the stands, turning his eyes back on Tamega, before finally noticing the Guardians that were slowly closing in.

Coughing and rubbing her neck, Tamega called out him, "Disco, what happened?!" Tamega slowly stood up and tried to reason with him, his head twitching uncontrollably, clearly in a state beyond interest in talking.

A Guardian ran and leaped at Disco's legs, grabbing hold of them as multiple other Guardians rushed him, pinning him and forming shackles of Ki around his arms and legs. Disco snarled, tearing them out of the ground and causing them to dissipate, as he began hurling the Guardians in every direction.

Dozens of chains began to form around his limbs, the hulking Namekian roaring as he strained to break free of their constraints, a beam of energy tearing out from his mouth and ripping through the stands, narrowly missing several spectators only by chance.

All hell broke loose, as countless fighters began screaming and running in various directions, knocking people over as they scattered.

Tamega's hair and aura returned to normal, as she tried to step toward Disco, people rushing in all directions and bumping into her as she tried to get closer, the panicked crowd blocking her path and preventing her from moving.

A familiar hum rung in her ear, as she turned to see Been, holding something red and glowing in one palm. With a swift motion, he snuck a hand into Tamega's robe and snatched one of her shards, slinking away into the crowd. Just as she tried to follow, another hand gripped her robe, and she looked up to see Kofi, staring down at her with an expression of regret.

"I'm.. Sorry.."

A single fist connected with the center of Tamega's face, and everything went black.

  
~~\--------------------~~

  
"WAIT!"

Tamega jolted awake with a scream, sweating and gasping for breath as she clutched her bruised throat, the feeling of Disco's monstrous hands choking her to death still fresh in her confused state of mind.

She was once again in a bed, though this time she recognized the room not as the make-shift infirmary of the Guardian Gathering, but one of Gyubi's beds within the Guardian Lookout of Planet Gyuu. 

Gyubi stood staring out one of the windows of the room, gazing out upon the world below obscured by thick clouds. Tamega immediately scrambled from her bed to meet her, rushing to her side as she despondently clenched her eyes shut.

"What happened? Where is Disco?!" 

Gyubi covered her face with her hands as her breathing became erratic. "Three Guardians are dead. The balance of three separate worlds is now shattered, the mortals that they once defended now forever without guidance."

Inhaling through her nostrils to regain her composure, she turned, and faced down Tamega. "Now, explain to me what that monster was, and your apparent pre-existing relationship with it."

Tamega's face went white, remembering all too late the evil Disco was capable of. She bit her lip as she tried to formulate the words necessary, clenching her fists in frustration. "He's.. It's complicated. He tried to kill me. Twice. Then I saved his life, then he helped me stop an evil machine that wasn't really evil or a machine, since then I haven't seen him in a few years. But I NEED to know where he is now, he said something about-"

Stopping abruptly through the bated breath of her own rambling, she scrambled her hands across her robe until she found one of the two shards, the other missing. She recalled how Kofi's brother had stolen the other, and she had knocked her unconscious. "His shards... And now Konaki's shard... Gyubi, I NEED to see him. Where is he?"

"Explain why you need to see the demon that killed three Guardians and interrupted one of the most sacred of congregations in the entire cosmos." Gyubi crossed her arms, clearly frustrated and ready to judge Tamega's answer harshly.

"Because that demon had two of these," Holding the shard in her hand, she displayed it for Gyubi before returning it to her robe. "And someone took one of mine, presumably the same person that stole his. The one that took them had a shard of his own, that makes four at the very least." Gyubi listened, but remained silent, still unsure of what to make of this revelation.

"Please Gyubi.. If they had one more shard, that means the shard I have is the last one they'll be looking for. I HAVE to find them, before they find me."

Gyubi held out a hand, still frowning. "Very well, I will hold on to the shard while you make your journey." Tamega shook her head, trying to explain quickly. "It will draw them here, and make Gyuu a target."

Gyubi crossed her arms once again. "Fine, then I will take the shard into the Room of Spirit and Time, it will be wholly outside of this Universe."

Tamega quickly retorted, trying to remain calm. "I need the shard to locate any of the other five, they glow and make a humming sound when near one or more shards." Clasping her hands together, begging her mentor to see reason, Tamega pleaded. "Please.. I need to see him, there is no other way."

Gyubi winced, trying to bury the feelings that tried to crawl their way up her throat as she rested an arm on Tamega's shoulder, the two of them vanishing from the Lookout as they reappeared inside of a dark corridor.

"This place, like the Room of Spirit and Time, is outside of the known Universe. It is where they are holding the demon." Groaning and shaking her head, Tamega was almost relucant to correct her. "While I take no issue with your glowing assessment of him, he's hardly a demon. Just a very cruel and enthusiastic idiot."

Pointing to the far end of the seemingly endless hall of shaded stone, Gyubi stood waiting as Tamega began walking to the far end of the corridor, uninterested in whatever discussion they might have together as she tried to put the thought of her student being in league with such a creature.

Half-sprinting along the corridor, Tamega felt the walls becoming more narrow as she came to an arched entryway into a small room. Within, she spotted Disco, chained from every inch of every limb, even his forehead bound from any semblance of movement, with a wall of what was presumably Ki blocking him from escaping or anything from entering.

Stepping forward and pressing her hands to the barrier, she felt a surge of energy attempting to shock her as she coated her hands with Ki, groaning as she pierced the barrier and stretched it enough for her to slowly step in.

Staring at Disco, who sat motionless in a bound, kneeled position with his eyes wide opened, she pulled the remaining shard from her robe and showed it to him. His eyes immediately focused on her, as she spoke slowly, and plainly.

"Someone took your shards, and someone took one of mine. Are you ready to talk this time?"


	61. Onward

Disco made a low, rumbling growl as Tamega reached forward, and pulled at the sheet of paper taped over his mouth. It slowly parted from his cheeks and lips, and Tamega tossed it on the ground, watching him warily.

"I think I know who took them, and I can still sense their Ki. They've made a lot of distance since your little stunt at the Gathering, and I have no clue how I'm going to get you out of here." Tamega crossed her arms and stared down at him angrily, almost tempted to kick him.

"For once, I can say that wasn't my doing." Disco grinned at Tamega, who looked to be absolutely seething.

_"Elaborate please before I lose it?"_

Disco tried to recall what had happened up until his arrival at the Gathering, groaning softly. "Two Saiyans, and three freaks I've never heard of or seen before found me on a dead planet half-way across the Universe. One of the Saiyans was wearing a cloak so I couldn't see their face, and all of them started kicking the crap out of me, then stole my shards. I tried to fire on them, and I found myself on another planet, not far from where you and those prissy punks were. Then a voice in my head started whispering, saying 'find the shards'. Again and again.. And then it's like it was someone else piloting my body while I watched from afar."

"And then you somehow entered a place you should have no way of accessing, killed three divine beings that should have been far beyond your ability to harm, and now you're in a prison outside of reality." Tamega crossed her arms and pinched her forehead. "They're never going to accept this. I genuinely have no idea how to get you out of here."

Disco grinned, his signature snaggletoothed fangs bared for Tamega to see. "I have a few ideas."

~~\--------------------~~

Gyubi sat kneeling at the dead-end of the corridor, maintaining her calm demeanor through great effort as she patiently awaited Tamega's return. A scream, and the sound of cracking stone roused her from her near slumber, as launched from her kneeling position and broke into a full sprint, entering the holding chamber to see the barrier gone, the chains broken, the binding seal on the floor, and Disco, with one arm around Tamega's neck holding her in front of him as a meatshield, and his other arm outstretched in Gyubi's direction.

"I hear you're the best transportation around, at least around these parts. Stand there, nice and easy now. No tricks or I pinch her head off at the neck."

Gyubi's mind was racing, unable to collect a single thought, beyond to do as he instructed. Standing just in front of him with her arms in the air, Disco motioned for her to turn around.

As she did so, he placed an arm on her shoulder. "Should really thank Tamega, she's a real chatterbox. Just went and told me how you taxi people like this. Now.. You're gonna take us back to.. Gyuu, was it?"

Gyubi clenched her fists, turning her head to try and face him. "You'll kill everyone, you're foolish if you think I'd bring you into our home." 

Snickering, Disco sighed. "I just want out of here, and I need the kid to help me find my shards. It's in my best interests to keep everyone happy, and she can't fly in space and breathe at the same time, so it's easier if you just do as I tell you so I can get her home, get her on her ship, and get my shards."

Clenching her throat tighter, Tamega whimpered in pain as Gyubi's eyes tensed. "Or, I start with her head, then I start pulling things off of you, one toe and finger at a time. I'll give 'em back of course, I'll be sure to feed them to ya."

Disco's entire perception shifted, as the three found themselves on the Lookout of Planet Gyuu. Disco immediately dropped Tamega and sprinted to the edge of the Lookout, performing a triple spinning flip and delivering a thumbs-up to Tamega as he sprinted and leaped off the edge.

Tamega quickly followed suit, shouting back to Gyubi as she jumped. "I'm really sorry about this..!"

Gyubi, left dumbfounded by the entire affair as she stammered and tried to follow, found her arms and legs going limp as she began chuckling to herself alone. "That child.. I don't know what to think anymore."

Tamega rocketed past Disco in mid-air, shooting through the air as Ki propelled from her feet and sped her toward the ground where her ship remain waiting for her, just as she had left it nearly five years ago.

Pressing the console on the outside to lower the landing ramp, and racing inside to power on the main computer, Disco arrived a moment later, stepping inside the dusty but otherwise familiar vessel. Tamega turned and beckoned him over, motioning for him to pick the coordinates on the starmap.

"There, that's where we were when they kicked my shit in." Tamega closed her eyes, reaching out across entire solar systems and expanses of space beyond what she had explored in her short time amongst the stars, until she felt a cloud of energy radiating, unmistakable from anything she had felt before.

"I can feel her, Kofi's there.. But it's not on any map." Disco frowned as Tamega began frantically punching in commands. "So? Then what do we do?"

Tamega powered on the engines as the landing gear retracted and the ramp snapped shut, the coordinates set. "There's a charted world not far from where they are. The autopilot will take us there, and then I'll switch over to manual for the remainder of the journey."  
Disco smirked, sitting in the pilot's chair and kicking back. "Just like old times, eh kid? Maybe we can swing by and pick up Konaki for backup."

Crossing her arms, Tamega tried to bury a smirk that bubbled to the surface and spread across her cheeks. "I absolute despise you, Disco."

Disco clenched his eyes tight and stuck his purple tongue out at her. "Same to you, brat."


End file.
